Challenge: Darkest Night of Dawn
by Alucard1959
Summary: A betrayed Naruto lays in a ocean, floating, waiting for the inevitable cold hand of the Shinigami himself to take his suffering away. But other than die, he was saved by a passing Elven boat who takes him far from his wretched village. Giving this distraught blonde a new goal to strive for, the complete destruction of Konoha. NaruxHarem, Saron-like, Semi-God-like, Semi-genus
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, It's Alucard1959 once again, answering a challenge. This is, like in the description, a Lord of the Rings/Naruto Fanfiction, but there are a few things I need to bring up before you begin to read so please READ THIS! **

**1\. Thanks to this challenge I have become a big fan of the Lord of the Rings, but I won't pretend like I know everything, and I am basing this off the movies I have watched. For some reason, the library in my town doesn't have the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit. So, like I said, I will be taking my inspiration from the movies. **

**2\. This is a Harem story, but it will only have a few characters from Naruto and LotR's timeline, the rest will be OC that I and Darth Khan N7 decided to random pick from places. **

**Harem List: **

**Naomi(FemSasuke)**

**Fuka (from Naruto)**

**Arwen (from LotR's)**

**Hitomi (Fem Orochimaru)**

**Mako (OC)**

**Makoto (OC)**

**Gaylia (OC)**

**Sawa (OC)**

**3\. Naruto will have three Bloodlines, which come from a movie of his known as Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire. He was steel Release, Swift Release, and Dark Release. If you wish to know more, ask me or look it up under Narutopdia.**

**4\. If you have read my main profile you know my stance on Lemons in stories, but, me and the man who gave me this challenge decussed it and…..after much talk with another individual on as well, I have decided to put lemons in this story. Now, fans of my other stories will also be happy or saddened to know I will, possibly, be putting other lemons in them as well. **

**Those who have been my fans ever since I started might think I am selling out or something along those lines, and if you do, I am sorry you feel that way. If there are some here who understand what I am doing, I thank you for that.**

**Anyway, enough babbling from me, time to start this story. I hope you enjoy!**

**Darkest Night of Dawn**

**Prologue**

**Naruto's execution: Wrongly Accused**

**I own Nothing**

**Author's Note: this challenge is from Darth Khan N7, I hope you all enjoy it. **

Loyalty, respect, common decency for your fellow man. All those words turned black in my mouth each time I swirl them around between my tongue. My village, correction, _former _village spoke these very words as if they were etched in stone and yet here I lay, or rather, float at the bottom of the sea, my arms bound by chakra restraining cuffs and my mouth stuffed with an unsanitary piece of cloth.

How have things gone so far south for me? 3 weeks ago I was training my mind and body in my sensei's Sage arts while coming to grips with my new abilities. Now, I float in a vast sea of deep and light blues, my lungs burning for an ounce of pure air. While my body flails for freedom, my mind couldn't help but drift to what brought me here.

**Flashback: 23 hours before**

**Narrator point of view: **

The scene is set, we arrive to see a bump in the covers toss and turn, twisting and contorting itself while an alarm inches from what would be its head fires over, alerting it and its little friend who is now fully awake.

A tan, slightly toned arm slides from under the covers and slaps for his alarm that flashes 6 a.m., only to feel the cold wooden texture of his nightstand. _"Damn it!" _he hissed lowly, sliding his hand around the wooden furniture, trying to feel for his alarm clock, unaware of the two golden eyes staring at him from a distance. The golden eyes soon begin to move, each paw placed in front of the other, inching closer to the sleeping creature that lies before it. Soon enough, the arm finally reaches his alarm and smashes the snooze alarm with such strength the plastic frame of said alarm bends under his hand.

Once the unidentified body under the covers releases a sigh of relief, he is pounced upon by the intruder, eliciting a scream of terror from the man.

"Ahhhhhh! Jesus Christ Nemian! It's too early in the damn morning for you to scare me like that." the man barked, only to feel a small, flat, moist tongue slide over his newly uncovered face. He was given his first morning kiss of the day by this unruly beast that went by the name of Nemian. It was a Lion cub, a 10 month old, just a little bigger than an average youngling. It was far different from the usual lion; its pitch black mane encompassed his neck while his grey fur was smoothly laid on him, not a single strand out of place. The dark colors clashed with his bright yellow eyes that glowed in the night, and let's not forget his long, sharp claws that could rip through the toughest chain-mail.

The cub-sized jungle cat just laid on his master's stomach, licking its chops, awaiting for his morning cubs of fresh meat, even though he is unaware that his master cannot move from his position to get his morning food because of the Lion's weight. Even a medium sized cub is enough to pin a grown man.

"Yeah, I know you're hungry, Nemian. But you know, I can't really _feed _you if you're pinning me to my freaking bed!" But the man's airtight logic was lost on the lumbering beast. The man sighed before tapping into his chakra, awakening one of his helpful bloodlines. "Jinton: Mueishō" (Swift Release: Shadowless Flight) and within an instant, the man's body disappeared, leaving his bed to the lumbering creature that has awaken our hero.

The man appeared in front of his fridge with a flicker, wearing dark orange sleep pants and a black top. His blonde mop he called his hair laid untamed and scraggly on his head.

"Lazy carnivore." he murmured, running his fingers through his tangled mess of hair while he fumbles through his freezer trying to find his "little" pet's breakfast for the day. He fished out a covered plate of assorted cubed meats, "Come Nemian, breakfast!" He alerted his pet and watched as the lazy feline jumped for his position on the bed and stood at attention before his master.

"Oh, now you listen." He stated with a bittersweet tone, dangling the first cube of meat above the Lion's nose, watching with delight as he follows the swinging penicillium of meaty goodness. "You only listen when you want something. What type of gratitude is that?" He sighed, dropping the meat from his grip, allowing it to fall into the beast's open mouth. After taunting the beast with his breakfast once, his enjoyment soon faltered, causing him to sigh once more and plop the meat plate on the floor, allowing the cub to eat eagerly to his heart's content.

"I mean, I _did _save you in a way. Without me and the old toads, you would've been a fancy rug for some rich bastard to rub his feet on." the man began his monolog, walking to his clothes while continuing his rant, "but do I hear a "thank you"? Noooooo, all I get is Grrrrrrrrrr, or ROAR!" He slipped on a very….eye catching - for lack of better words - black and orange jumper with a pair of orange slick pants. He slipped on a leaf shinobi headband, slapped on his usual opened toed ninja sandals and adjusted his weapon pouch.

"I'm not asking for much," He huffed, kneeling down to his pet's field of vision, which was still digging into the toughened meat, "just a nod or a thumb up, something to make me feel a little appreciated!"

As the teen locked eyes with his furry friend, the red liquid that dripped from the meat now dripping from the young lion's chin, he was met with nothing but a blank, uncaring stare before it walked away, back onto the bed his master once occupied, allowing Nemian to stretch out and soak in the morning rays.

"...Yep, I just tried to reason with a Lion….I think I'm losing it." He sighed, "Way to go Naruto. Thank god it's Monday, I can finally stretch my legs." He stood once more, walking towards his door and leaving his pet Lion to his own devices, which was lay on the bed for the entire day, taking in the morning sun that was shining through the open window.

"_How long have I been in that room, it felt like months?" _Naruto sighed, stepping excitedly out into the chilling morning, the cooling breeze smacking him across his rosy cheeks. It may feel almost like an eternity to Naruto but in reality he's spent 3 weeks locked in that room. Many wonder why he was locked up, it's been 3 weeks since the battle with Pein; shouldn't he be ready to help his fellow shinobi? Well, it's not that simple. On the first day of rebuilding, Naruto was the first one on the sight, and the last one to leave, putting his body and shadow clones to good use. But, unbenounced to anyone, Naruto's injuries were far more extensive than he let on. He woke up the next day with open wounds, a pulled back muscle, and arms that felt like rubber, he couldn't move an inch.

So, after being declared bedridden for 3 whole weeks by one of the nurses, Naruto and his little pet stayed locked up, unable to leave the house under any circumstances. They even payed a few B-ranked ANBU's to keep a close eye on him.

Seeing that Naruto and Nemian couldn't go anywhere for a 3 week, they decided to get to know one another…...and you see who well that went. Being locked away from any human contact made Naruto very needed for attention, and that damned cat did not feel like giving it to him.

"_Why did I even agree to watch over that little fur ball anyway?" _Naruto sighed, recalling the conversation he had with the two Elder Toads of Mount Myoboku. Shima and Fukasaku, being the kind and gentle old toads they were, found an abandoned lion on one of their adventures with Jiraiya, and decided they wanted to raise it by themselves. But, after a few months, they realized this cub was….getting bigger by the day. So, once Naruto arrived to achieve the Sage mode ability, they asked for one more favor from the cocky blonde. And that's how Naruto was saddled with this "fur ball" as he so elegantly put it. _"I shouldn't have agreed, I don't even like animals…...well, that's not true. It's more like they aren't very fond of me." _He thought begrudgingly, turning a corner to see the slow progress of his village's rebuilding.

His and a handful of buildings in the red-light district were made moderately livable, thanks to dumb luck and a little elbow grease from Naruto and a few of his clones on the first day of construction. But that will all change by the end of today, he was back to full health thanks to his heightened healing factor and a little help from the Kyuubi who, if Naruto can recall, has been very quiet for this past 3 weeks. Deep down, Naruto felt a little at fault for this devastation. If he had arrived sooner or found a way to drive Pein away from the village, this might not have happened.

So, Naruto's promised that he was going to throw himself into his work; he will eat, drink, and sleep construction. He will not rest until his village is back to his former glory. As he rounded another corner and headed down a flight of crumbling stairs he came to the apex of the attack. The ground was deeply scared; nothing remained but dust and the markings that covered the area.

He couldn't help but recall the final moment of his battle, when he came face to face with who truly caused the death of his people, Nagato. His mind told him to rip out that sad sack's throat right then and there, but his heart wouldn't allow it. He was lucky, because letting him live allowed him the chance to appeal to Nagato's better nature, which lead to the rebirth of his village.

"_Pein….Nagato…...Konan, your names will always hold weight in my heart. You were my enemies, but now, I hope that one day. You can call me an ally, comrade, or even a friend." _Naruto thought, feeling a tightness develop in his chest once he recalled what transpired about 3 weeks ago. Pein, his name invoked hatred and disdain from all within the borders of Konoha. He killed millions with zero remorse so he can come closer to what he deems "true peace", a man who proclaims himself higher than all, who calls himself "god", such pompous arrogance only sealed the peoples hatred for the man.

But Naruto saw it differently. Yes, the man slaughtered his friends, people who were like family to him, but he couldn't help but feel pity for the puppet and the puppeteer who controlled him behind the scenes.

Nagato watched his family being slaughtered before him, he lived through the worst war the Elemental Nations had ever seen, and to top it all off, he was forced to kill the only person he could ever consider his brother.

Naruto couldn't help but wonder if that could be what he will become once the inevitable happens, once he is ordered to kill the betrayer of the Leaf, Naomi Uchiha (FemSasuke).

His thoughts were interrupted once he felt a slight shift in the air, his eyes noticing a distinct red hue bathing the path he walked on. "What the?" He questioned, watching as a pathway of red light began to inch closer and closer in his direction, soon engulfing him in it's disturbingly cold light.

Naruto looked up; his eyes meet with an unusual sight. The moon, something Naruto had thought continued on its orbit to the other side of the world, was now smack dab in the middle of the sun, blocking its warming rays. But that, surprisingly, wasn't the weird part. What struck Naruto as odd was the coloration of this lunar eclipse. It was red, a deep, crimson red that seemed to have an almost hypnotic feeling to Naruto. He couldn't pull himself away from it, the color was utterly sublime, and his heart seemed to pound quicker every second he looked. As his heart began to leap, tightness once again entered his chest, indicating something definitely wasn't right. The slight pain in his chest soon traveled north, gripping his brain like it was in a vice, each moment that passed, the vise tightened.

"AH!" He yelled in agony, dropping to his knees, his hands gripping his temples, trying to sooth his now screaming skull, "What is this?!" He questioned, his vision going blurry and his senses failing one by one. Soon enough, he was laying in the fetal position, his face resting on a small patch of dirt while his body subconsciously shakes and quivers.

Soon, like a passing trend, the pain dies, relieving Naruto of this debilitating ach, and allowing him to slowly stand on shaken legs. He was hunched, his body still a little weak from his ordeal not five seconds go. His vision started to come back, everything was blurry at first, nothing but grey blobs invading his line of sight, but soon it all came back to him.

He now stood erect with his hand on his forehead, pondering on what just happened while the red moon still hung overhead. _"What happened?" _he thought groggily, heading towards the construction site, unaware of a few stragglers behind him, ducking behind the cover of rubble or partially standing buildings. _"Everything…...everything hurts. My bones, my muscles, my head. I bet my teeth are even screaming in agony." _ While his confused mind was preoccupied with his aching appendages, the unseen group begins to gather more and more ground, unseen by the dazed blonde.

His body began to loosen, allowing his senses to return to him, all be it a little dulled thanks to the continuous throbbing of everything on his fleshy form.

The first thing he heard from his newly acquired senses was…...the pitter patter of sandals speeding right towards him? He turned just in time to come face to face with someone's shin now inches from his surprised face. the body this shin was attached too belonged to a man covered in a black cloak, his features impossible to see and his clothing was common for leaf ninja, there was no way for Naruto to know who this man was.

Naruto sprung backwards, cart wheeling his way out of the reach of this man's surprise attack. In mid back flip he was met with a split-second decision, an explosive kunai was flung in his direction, landing in front of his face. He didn't have time to substitute and he couldn't make a clone to pull him out of this one. So, he did the only thing he could do, block. He crossed his arms in front of his face and took the explosion straight to his arms and partially to his face.

He was sent flying, crushing through discarded piles of lumber that rested on one of the adjacent buildings, giving Naruto a slightly cushioned fall, if you could call it that. He looked to his attacker through his defenses, his sleeves now demolished and his arms slightly charred. He couldn't find the hooded man through the layer of smoke the explosive kunai created, giving Naruto a little breather before anything else happens.

'_What was that?" _He wandered, slowly pulling himself out of the Naruto sized hole he created into the wood, gripping his left arm which took most of the damage, _"dammit! I think it might be broken." _ He grimaced, the smell of burned cloth and charred flesh ran through his nostrils. He quickly scanned his surroundings, unwilling to be taken by surprise once again, and found nothing. His mystery attacker seemed to have vanished.

"Bastard," Naruto hissed, limping forward, "he first attacks me from behind, and then he doesn't even have to common decency to face me like a man! Coward!" He proclaimed, but deep down he knew if he had stayed he would have been finished. He may be strong but even he can't fight back with a possibly broken arm.

Naruto, spitting out a slightly red logy, began to walk towards the construction site once again, hoping they had a few nurses on standby for his arm. His leisurely limp was cut short when he felt another presence. But this time, it wanted to be felt. The ground began to shake; the building next to him began to show cracks, before a fist crashed through the solid brick wall. Another figure, this one being slightly shorter, appeared from behind the now demolished wall, fist cocked back with a chakra aura surrounding it.

He tumbled to his right, dodge the fist and the truck load of debris that was heading his way. He got to his feet just in time to slide backwards, missing another super-charged fist to his legs. While Naruto continued to dodge his assailant's punches and occasional kicks, he began to notice his unusual amount of fatigue. He is usually quicker than this and a whole hell of a lot aggressive too, what's wrong with him?

His musing was cut short when another set of hands joined the fray. It was that one from earlier; at least, that's what Naruto thought. The two wore the exact same outfit, each one's face covered completely from view by the shadow's there hoods provided. The new aggressor took on Naruto from his left side, going for his useless appendage.

Naruto could only process so much in so little time before he started to get sloppy. After a full minute of dodge, counters and counters to counters, Naruto slipped. The strongest out of the two took a swing, a direct hail mary to Naruto's jaw. Naruto used his right arm to deflect it to his side, only to open himself up to a strong round house kick to his damaged appendage, causing a loud howl to escape his lips. His howls were soon silence by a mule kick to his chest, sending him through one of the adjacent buildings behind him.

Naruto lied there, pinned under a pile of rubble and plaster, a broken arm, a possible fractured rib, and one mean headache. He was lucky the kick was a second off, if it wasn't, he would have been in worse shape than this. That split second mistake allowed him to activate one of his luckiest abilities only a few know he has. Kōton (steel release), a forgotten and widely underrated bloodline that Naruto was lucky to have, it encases a certain section of his body with solid black steel, unwavering and impenetrable, not even Sakura's toughest punch can break through his defenses.

"_Be that as it may," _he thought, pushing the debris off his chest, revealing the broken zipper of his jacket, which, intern, revealed his blackened, steel-like, skin. "_That still hurt like a bitch!" _He whined mentally, deactivating his ability to see a massive red mark on his chest in the size of someone's sandal. Whoever this was had enough strength to actually leave a mark, even after he protected himself with one of the strongest defenses known to Shinobi's.

"These people…..they mean business." He stated, feeling a slight twinge of pain shoot up his arm once more, "dammit!" He murmured, gripping his elbow, the sources of the possible break, "If I wasn't so careless, this wouldn't have happened." He let out a frustrated sigh, there was nothing he could do about it now, what's done is done. He decided discretion would be the better part of battle in this situation, seeing as he's already gotten a broken arm and a sore chest.

He began his stealthy trek towards the building site, hoping he could get some back-up. I know what you must be thinking, Naruto, abandoning a fight? How is this even possible, but even the strongest have to learn when to fight on and when to back down and right now, he needed to back down.

"_This is so humiliating," _Naruto thought bitterly, ducking into an alleyway once he caught a glimpse of a speeding black blur inching closer to his position, _"Naruto Uzumaki, cowering in fear! My father would have stood there and fought till his last breath." _

But, once more, his body stood completely still, unwilling to follow his mind's suicidal thoughts. He waited until the blur passed his position to start back on his way towards his sanctuary. His speed quick and his heart racing, he kicked his slight jog into a quick sprint, unwilling to alert his enemies to his location by using another one of his bloodlines, Jinton (Swift Release). He knew it would probably be hard to detect but he had no clue if they had a sensor with them, and if he fires off his bloodline even once, it could spell the end for him and the construction crews he transported too.

He quickly arrived at the sight with no contact with the hooded duo and he quickly realized that the whole area was barren. Not a single worker, civilian, or evens a shinobi or ANBU to watch over the equipment. There was no sign of life anywhere, even in the neighboring buildings that were deemed livable.

"Hello!" He calls out, awaiting a single response but was meet with nothing but silence, "is anyone there! Sakura-chan, Sai, Kakashi-sensei!" Once more he was met with nothing but silence.

"Where the heck is everyone?" He pondered, walking through the sight hoping to find someone who was unable to answer back.

His exploration was cut short when the earth, once again, began to tremble under his feet. He turned quickly just in time to find a huge spinning mass of some sorts rushing towards his position, demolishing anything that got in its way. "This can't be good!" Naruto hollered, encasing most of his body, his right arm, his body, and his face partially before meeting the ball of speeding mass head on. His metal sparked from the friction while his body was pushed backwards, creating two trenches with his feet. His stance was solid and so was his body but the ground was unable to deal with such force.

Wearing out the masses speed and velocity with nothing but his steel body, the orb slowed. Steam was pouring from Naruto's body, friction from the ball tearing through his clothing, leaving him in nothing but his matching pants and a single tattered sleeve hanging from his useless left arm.

"Alright, you overgrown tub of lard!" Naruto hissed, gripping the, surprisingly soft, ball with his still steeled right arm tightly. "No more mister nice guy!" Turning abruptly, Naruto threw the orb into an adjacent building, using all the strength he could muster to accomplish such a feet. The mass slammed into said building, demolishing the windows and walls that lined the outside of it. "Oh…...shit. Didn't think that one through," Naruto murmured, scratching his face sheepishly while he watched large chunk of the building begin to fall off, one by one, until the whole thing came tumbling down right on top of the orb like creature.

"Damn…...well, I guess it's a good thing no one was in it….I hope." Naruto mumbled to himself, watching the building's last pieces crumble down onto the ground. While he was mentally kicking himself for such an idiotic display, he was unaware of the congregation of people gathering around him.

He opened his eyes to be met with a group of 5 hooded figures; all dressed in the same dark black garbs, making it next to impossible to distinguish them apart, or to even tell their genders. All he could make out was their different heights, but that wasn't going to tell him much, now was it?

"Jeez," Naruto sighed playfully, rubbing the back of his head with his still activated steel arm, "are you guys multiplying or what?" His joking nature got the best of him. His joke was met with a two man group rushing his position, both with readied stances and quick reflexes. His smile soon dropped and his right arm went up, blocking the first two jabs from one of the cloaked ones on the left. The other on his right slide past Naruto's defenses and went for a palm strike to his kidney, only for his shot to be ineffective against Naruto's armored skin.

"Ha," he laughed, twisting around to catch the fool with his elbow right into his temple, "you're going to have to do more than that to take me down!"

He then turned his attention to the one in front of him who seemed to be gearing up for another assault. He ducked an incoming jab and spinned lowly, catching his attacker with his outstretched leg, forcing him off his feet. Naruto then followed up his sweeping leg takedown with a solid drop kick into the cloak figure's gut, sending him in the direction of his friends, who side stepped the incoming body.

"Hmmmm, he seems to have a few new abilities we were not informed of," one spoke, his voice distorted and unrecognizable by anyone, let alone Naruto's usual scattered memories.

"Will this interfere with our previous plan?" another questioned, the same distortion but this one being slightly higher, indicating it's gender to be a female or a very high pitched male.

"...No, my plan should still work, if he's as predictable as he usually is."

"Hey!" Naruto abruptly interrupted, "who are you calling predictable? I am the most unpredictable ninja in all of Konoha." He proclaimed, proud of his childhood name that was given to him by his own sensei, Kakashi Hatake. "Who do you think you are?" Naruto questioned the cloaked figure, pointing a defiant finger in his direction, "I've taken on at least 5 of you bastards with a broken arm no less. Do you think you can really beat me?"

"Yes, I know I can." He stated firmly, discreetly revealing an explosive kunai that he grips under his cloak's sleeve, "you have skimmed by with luck and unpredictability for too long, I've watched you for most of your life. I know your tricks, I know your style, I know you. And I know your unpredictability will be your downfall today."

"Ha, if you know me so well, then why didn't you know about this?" He questioned, brandishing his shiny metallic arm, "you talk a big game, but in the end, I will crush you! I won't let you hurt me or this village."

"I am saving this village," the man stated, his grip tightening on the kunai, "I'm saving it from you. I won't let such a dangerous creature roam around anymore!" Once he finished his declaration, he chucks the sizzling projectile in Naruto's direction, hoping his production of Naruto's action will hold.

The weapon dug itself into the dirt in front of Naruto's feet, exploding almost instantly. Naruto, believing it was a simple explosive tag, held firm, allowing his impenetrable armor take the brunt of the blast. The impact was far less than Naruto anticipated; he was barely shaken from his spot. He opened his eyes only to regret it. His body began to burn the second he inhaled and his eyes started to blur.

"Dammit! What in the hell was that?" He whizzed, gripping his throat as the painful gas stung his lungs.

"Don't worry, it's not toxic. I can't let you die…..yet," The man stated, walking slowly towards the gasping fool, unwilling to allow this opportunity to pass. "It shall only take three minutes before every fiber in your body will become heavy, in 5, you won't even be able to move your tongue let alone fight back. And the best part, the more you fight, the more you exert yourself, the quicker the poison spreads."

"*cough* You…...bastard," Naruto coughed, his vision fading in and out of blurriness, he could barely make out the person standing in front of him, "you….you couldn't fight me like a *cough**cough* man. You had to…..poison me?"

"Bravado is so unbecoming. I don't need to prove myself to you, all I need is to bring you to my employer and watch him finish you off. Simple enough," The man stated coldly, cracking Naruto in the unprotected region of his face with a hard high kick. Naruto stumbled backwards; that kick was not helping his fading vision. He tried to focus on his attacker, trying to find anything to counter on but it was next to impossible to focus long enough to give him a fighting chance. Naruto's slow reaction time to that tag will be his downfall. Before Naruto could catch his breath, another hit was dealt to his exposed chin, sending him to his knees.

"How pathetic," the man hissed, gripping Naruto's head ready to deliver the final blow. He reared back his leg and brought his knee directly into Naruto's nose, shattering Naruto's nose like it was nothing but glass…..or at least that's what would have happened. He knew he needed to do something, anything to derail this bastards plan for another minute or two to allow Naruto to think of a plan of action. So, he hardened his face completely with black metal, causing the man's attack to cause him more physical pain than he did Naruto. The man's knee popped, a sickening crunch echoed through the empty lot and his pained grunt was muffled.

The man stumbled backwards, his stance now wobbly thanks to his possibly fractured kneecap curiosity of Naruto's steel face. Not wanting to give them enough time to regroup, Naruto activated his bloodline, Jinton (Swift Release), and disappeared in a flurry of golden mist and speed.

The cloaked figures stood around the area, unmoved by Naruto's daring escape. They just stood there, staring at the residue he left behind.

"Should we go after him?" One asked, stepping from the perfect semi-circle the cloaked figures created.

"...Yes, but we need him back alive," the supposed leader stated, slowly turning towards his group, "Danzo wishes to finish this beast off by his own hands. Fight him, work that poison into his system, his body will soon betray him."

The group nodded in understanding and dispersed, ready to run Naruto's failing body into the ground so they can soon deliver him to their leader. "Except for you," he stated, pointing to one of his associates who was about to embark on the same mission as its other counterparts, "you and I will stand back, used ranged attacks if Naruto is able to elude the ground troop."

"Hai," she stated firmly, her voice indicating her gender even though the distortion, "is there any form of weapon you wish me to use? I have many that can be used for containment."

"...Bring out the big guns, I want this done quickly."

**2 minutes later: **

"I-I can't…...keep going," Our hero is found sprawled out on a random rooftop, his face resting on the hardwood that lined the roof, his Kōton (steel release) now fully deactivated, allowing his tender flesh to be easy pickings if the cloaked men and women find him.

"_How is this poison still running through me? That damn fox would have cleaned it out by now," _Naruto thought, trying to move his body only to see his hand twitch for a second or two before going limp once more. _"Oi! Fox, come on, I need your help!" _Naruto begged, even though he would never admit it, he actually needed this demon's help. For the first time in a long time, he actually _wanted _and needed the Kyuubi's help.

Soon, Naruto realized he couldn't feel the fox's presence; it was almost like…..the fox was gone. He called once more, this time with more worry, but he only heard silence. The Kyuubi's voice was now severed, meaning Naruto, weather he wanted it or not, was alone in this battle; he had no more aces in the whole.

His entire arsenal was systematically destroyed of a few minutes with these cloaked bastards. He couldn't create any Kage Bunshin, seeing as he needed two arms to do such a hand seal. He couldn't count on any forms of the Rasengan he has created, the Kyuubi was a no go, and for some reason his ability to absorb natural energy to awaken his true Sage mode was causing him physical pain.

For the past two minutes he has tried everything to absorb enough energy to create his Sage mode but, every time he was close enough to gaining the right amount, his concentration would slip, causing his skull to throb uncontrollably for a good 5 seconds or so.

But, the worst thing of all was that he had used up most of his chakra already. Even he didn't know how that was possible. He's known for having mass amounts of untapped reserves of chakra, even after the fight with Pein he still had enough for a few more Rasengans. But, for some reason, this short fight has drained him of almost all of his strength; every ounce of chakra is being slowly drained every moment he keeps fighting.

"_Why…..Why is my body turning on me? Why now?" _Naruto questioned, before something came to his mind, something mentioned earlier, _"Wait a minute ...this all started….after the-" _but his breakthrough was halted once he felt the strong boot of another stomp on his back, sending shockwaves through the roof. A trickle of blood was now apparent in the corner of Naruto's mouth, while his eyes widened and his mouth hung agape, the pain was too immense to describe.

"Found you, baka!" She yelled, grinding her sandal's heel into the base of Naruto's spine, causing Naruto even more discomfort, if that was even possible. A chuckle escaped the cloak figure's mouth as it continued to grind and grind until it saw Naruto's arm move an inch. "Oh no you don't!" It barked, push down even harder, sending spider web fractures across the rooftop, "stay down!"

"_I-I have to…..get away! C-C-Can't let them…...take me!_" Naruto's thoughts began to blur as well, his eyelids hanging heavily over his eyes, barely able to see past them. Naruto's chakra was so low and his stamina was even worse, whatever this toxin was, it has done its job. It's crippled Naruto. _"I-I can't….. I can't let them win!" _ His never say die attitude does the impossible, it gives him the push he needed. He shakingly opened his eyes to get the right line of sight for what he was about to do. He teleported once more, using up nearly half of his already low amount of chakra he had left only to arrive on the adjacent rooftops. His body dropped lifelessly onto the roof, his face slightly skidding on the hard rooftop whiles his assailants' frantically search.

"You lost him again?!" One yelled, pushing her associate from behind, making her stumble forward.

"Hey! It's not my fault," She yelled back, turning to confront her group, gripping one by the collar, "maybe if you dunces weren't so lazy and guarded the damn perimeter-"

"Shut up both of you!" A voice uttered from an adjacent rooftop, they looked to find their leader with his lackey tailing behind him, his fist tightened in rage, "How could you five be so stupid? He's right there!" He pointed to Naruto's now erect form, stumbling towards the next building at a snail's pace.

"_Dammit! I should have stayed down!" _Naruto grimaced, swaying back and forth while he tries to move his legs, each step harder than the last. He looked up, he was feet from the edge of the other building, he could make it. He could find a way to escape; he knew he could as long as he tried. He reached out, prepared to activate his bloodline once more, ready to force every last bit of his remaining chakra to disperse towards the horizon, giving him the much needed distance from these cloaked bastards.

But, alas, Naruto's plans of self-made freedom were short lived. A sharp, foreign pain shoots up and down his spine, it was a simple prick at first, but it grew in pain the longer it festered. Naruto reached back, ready to find out what could have possibly attached itself to him, that is, until his body seized under the power of 1,000 volts of electricity surge through him.

"Bull eye," the leader's lackey stated confidently, sliding her blow dart back into her sleeve, a content smile peeking out from behind the darkness that hid her face.

"Very nice, you've always had a good eye." the leader stated, before turning his attention back to the flailing mass that was Naruto. His leg's refused to buckle and so did his body, he was still upright, unwilling to fall to this weak attack. "Hmmmmm, he seems more resilient to your attack than we thought….oh well, you can never trust tools to do all the work, now can you?"

He jumped from his high ground to meet the paralyzed blonde face to face. Naruto, unable to budge a single inch, while this man paced around him, mocking Naruto's state. "Now, now, this doesn't look to good, not at all." The man laughed, kicking the back of Naruto's knee, dropping him to one, "that's 1,000 volts of pure electricity going up and down your spine with ease. This chakra disrupter is not only extremely painful, as you are well aware of; it also speeds up the poisons effects. Now, a process that would have taken 3 more minutes is about to be done in 3 seconds. And here's the kicker, as long as this dart is stuck in your neck, your chakra will be sealed away. It's amazing what a crack team of seal makers and the best chakra point experts can make with just a little intuition and a huge amount of funds. Anyway, night night." And Naruto was met with a final boot to the face before he blacks out, the poison finally taking its toll.

"That was…..easier than I expected," one voiced, walking to the unconscious Naruto's side before tapping the heel of his sandal into his side, making sure he was out for the count.

"Maybe he's not all that he is cracked up to be," Another interjected, "maybe his fight with Pein was a fluke, maybe he had some help."

"It doesn't matter. Do not look a gift horse in the mouth, my father would always say." the leader suggested, before motioning his people to pick up the limp mass known as Naruto Uzumaki, "we have captured our culprit. Now, we must take him to Danzo for his…..fair trial, in front of a jury of his own peers."

**6 hours later:**

Who would have thought, Naruto Uzumaki, the man who brought down Pein, battled a tailed beast and won, and the same person who perfected the same Rasengan that took the Fourth Hokage a full year to create, would be in such a predicament.

We find his body on display in the middle of a dark room, a single spotlight glimming down on the poor soul's body. His form was limp, but a few new contraptions keep him erect, two chains attached to him by leather straps are held in place by beams of highly tempered metal. His legs were clamped to the floor by two massive steel braces that they themselves were bolted to the ground, forcing Naruto's unconscious body to remain in an upright position, all of his weight sported on his knees.

The groggy blonde soon began to stir, his head swayed back and forth ever so slightly as his eyes began to open to reveal his surroundings. At first his vision was blurred, unreadable blobs rushed along his sight before it cleared to show him where exactly he was.

He was in a court house, an underground courthouse if you want to be specific, he could tell by the lack of light or windows. The room was a single square, two jury boxes on each side, and behind him was were the witnesses and the onlookers sat. In front of him was the judges chair, but this was far larger than any judge's booth he has ever seen, and for good reason too. It held every single counselor from Konoha, from clan to civilian, they were all there.

"Ah, it seems like the defendant is finally awake," A man voiced, walking to the middle of the judges booth, a Cyclops that couldn't be forgotten, Danzo Shimura. A village elder and adviser to the Hokage, who, at this moment in time, is incapacitated after her unsuccessful, throw down with Pein. Seeing as Tsunade has been incapacitated, Danzo now holds the whole village in his hands, he is now the temporary Hokage. "Now we can finally get started."

"Danzo, what is the meaning of this?" Naruto questioned, his words slightly slurred as he pulls on the chains, trying to get free, only to feel the binds tight hold stand firm, "why am I chained up? Why am I in a courtroom? What the hell is this all-?"

"SIlence!" He shouted, causing a hush to come over the crowd and Naruto himself, "you, Naruto Uzumaki, have been charged with several counts of assisted murder and one count of assisted genocide. How do you plead?"

"WHAT!?" Naruto yelled, trying to stand to defend himself in a more comfortable fashion but was halted by the braces on his legs, "how could you possibly accuse me of those crimes! I saved the village for god's sake! I talked Nagato into bring back everyone, even you. You wrinkled up fossil! And yet you have the nerve-"

"Silence! I will not have any more outbursts in my courtroom! Am I understood?" Danzo shrieked, his one good hand gripping a gavel. Naruto, reluctantly, nodded, allowing the proceedings to continue. "Now, I will ask once more. Naruto Uzumaki, how do you plead with the charges brought before you?"

"Not guilty, not guilty, a million times NOT guilty!" Naruto answered harshly, his eyes narrowing towards the Cyclops, "and I am ashamed of you for even insinuating this! I love my village; I wouldn't put anyone's life in danger."

"And yet your mere presence in this village puts everyone in danger." Danzo retorted, getting nods from everyone in attendance, "attack after attack, mission after mission, we have lost good men and women trying to protect you."

"No, you are protecting what's inside of me!" Naruto yelled back, "I didn't ask to become a Jinchuuriki; I didn't want those people to die for me. I cannot be held accountable for things I had no power in stopping."

"Be that as it may, it does not hide the fact that you have caused countless lives to be lost." One brave civilian councilman stood, a defiant smirk on his lips and an accusatory finger pointing straight at Naruto.

"And yet I brought them back! Without me you people would still be knocking at death's door, without me, Nagato wouldn't have even hesitated on letting you all rot!" His facts were solid, so was his defense, but for some reason none of the judges seemed to be fazed, their stoic, unmoving faces held firm. "What more proof do you need!?"

"But can you say the same thing for Asuma Sarutobi, or even your poor sensei, Jiraiya? Or how about the countless others who have died at the hands of the Akatsuki?" the Councilman yelled. The room was in an uproar, thousands of well respected, highly decorated Shinobi's were yelling for blood, Naruto's blood to be more specific.

"Both deaths hold no merit in this trial!" Naruto interjected, surprisingly thinking far clearer than he usually did, "Jiraiya went to find information on the Akatsuki, and Asuma with his team were _assigned _to capture two Akatsuki members who were spotted crossing our borders. Pretending their deaths had anything to do with me is idiotic and it devalues their passing!"

"Actually, Uzumaki" Danzo chimed in, "we have reports that state those two Akatsuki members were aiming for Konoha, and more importantly, they were aiming to capture you. Asuma risked his life to protect the village; he died because you are a magnet for disaster."

"And how is this my fault!?" Naruto barked, his rage reaching an all time high as he watched as each and every pair of eyes in the building locked on him. It was a truly unsettling feeling, everyone looking at you, like you're on display. One time or another in Naruto's life he would love such attention, weather it was good or bad, he didn't care, as long as all eyes were on him. But now, now he is on trial for a charge that was utterly ludicrous, and now, all that love and admiration he felt after defeating Pein was gone. All he felt was pure, seething hatred from all in attendance.

"We are not blaming you, Uzumaki-san," Danzo calmly stated, his words slipping from his tongue with such professionalism, it was oddly therapeutic, as well as teeth grindingly annoying. "But we cannot allow this facts to be unheard, weather you are physically responsible or not, I must do what is best for the village."

"What facts!?" How many times could Naruto yell until someone heard him, it was like talking to a wall, but even that's easier. "All you old bastards have been doing is sitting there, repeating the same old lines over and over again like fucking puppets!"

"..." Danzo stayed stoic as usual, his gaze unwavering, "jury, have you reached a decision?"

"Yes, your honor." A cloaked figure stood forth, brandishing a single paper in his grip who was soon followed by his doppelgangers'.

"You!" Naruto yelled, recognizing the design of the cloaks, "you did this to me, you rat bastards!"

"You did this to yourself, Naruto. We are just finishing what you started….no matter how troublesome it is."

"...say that again," That voice, the gargled words that this cloaked figure once had dropped, revealing a much more memorable voice to our subdued hero.

"Say what? Troublesome?" The man mocked; shrugging his shoulders lazily in a manner that only one person could produce.

"S….Shikamaru? Is that you!?" Naruto questioned, scanning the boy's body to try and find anything that resembled the know it all he called a friend &amp; comrade.

"I don't know, is it?"

"Nara-san, that's enough teasing. The boy has a right to know who his jury is," Danzo stated, ushering the cloaked figure and his lackeys to follow his command, which they did. One by one, their hoods dropped, revealing their faces to the defendant, and one by one, a small chip of Naruto's heart fell. Each face was one that Naruto will never forget, Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Tenten, Neji, Sai, and, finally Hinata, each with blank, unwavering faces that only worsened Naruto's mood.

"S-Shikamaru, C-Choji, Sakura, even you…..Hinata." They didn't look, they didn't speak, they just stared towards their appointed leader, Danzo, who was now awaiting their decision, "hey….HEY! What are you doing? You're my friends, aren't you!? Please, won't someone…...answer me?"

"Danzo-sama," Shikamaru stated, utterly ignoring Naruto's plea, "we have come to a decision. We find the defendant, Naruto Uzumaki…..guilty on all charges."

Naruto was at a loss for words, his mouth hung slightly agape as he watched his friends sentence him. He couldn't believe it, the people he would live and die for, the people he once considered closer than family, has tried and convicted him on charges that were flimsy at best.

"Very well," Danzo sighed, almost as if he didn't want this, and even Naruto knew that was a lie, "Uzumaki Naruto, you are here by sentenced to death."

"...Death?" The word slithered from Naruto's mouth, his body locked with fear.

"Yes, it was decided that you are to dangerous to keep alive." One councilmember voiced, his menacing stare lined solely for the demon shackled in the middle of this courtroom, "if you die today, thousands will be able to prosper in the future. A win, win."

But then, something happened that no one could have predicted, Naruto started to laugh. It was low at first, barely detectable over the whispers of the crowd, but soon it echoed throughout the hall. Naruto threw his head back, his mouth wide while tears streamed down his dirty face.

"You bastards….you filthy, disgusting, fucking BASTARDS!" He yelled, his disturbed laughter replaced with an eerie smile. It happened, Naruto has finally snapped, "you're afraid, that's why you're doing this, isn't it? ISN'T IT!? I am stronger than all of you; I have more strength in my pinky than you bastards do in your whole, aging, wrinkled bodies. But, instead of trying to get into my good graces like a bunch of brown-nosing leeches, you have decided to kill me, so you can sleep safely at night, not worrying about if I will take my sweet revenge on those who beat me as a child! And that's why you held this farce you call a trial. You did this so you can clear your conscience! There were no facts, no rhyme or reason for this, you just want a piss poor excuse to kill me."

"That's enough," Danzo barked, his calm demeanor slipping to make way for his true colors, "I will not have your filthy mouth dirty up my court room anymore. You will be executed at 6 a.m. but in the meantime, Ibiki Morino, will you please come in here."

Soon, Naruto was met with a large man, one that he has seen only once before. He was a large, imposing figure, which he complements with a rugged head and face covered with old wounds and scars. his head is always covered to conceal a collection of burn marks, punctures from where screws were used, and long slash marks but he had it covered up by a single, black bandanna.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki bowed to his leader, awaiting his orders.

"I would like you too…...keep a close eye on our new guest until then."

"Yes, of course, Lord Hokage." A sly smirk appeared on the scared Shinobi's face. He reached for Naruto's restraints, unshackled the chains from their beams and unshackled Naruto's legs. He began to pull, bring Naruto's limp body with him. Naruto was spent, he couldn't fight back and even if he could, what would be the point? They've won. Even if he was able to escape Ibiki's grasp, who would he turn too? All of his friends betrayed him, all the villagers want him dead, and he was truly alone.

So, with a broken heart, and a single tear escaping his blue orbs, he prepared himself for his night of hell with the torture experts, Ibiki and Anko.

**KTIF Base of operation: **

**(Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force)**

"Alright boys, we got a live one!" Ibiki yells, dragging the unmoving corpse of Naruto down the final flight of stairs, into the dark and dank room that is referred to by many as the gateway to hell.

After Ibiki's statement, a group of people sprang forward, almost salivating at the chance to torture a poor soul, and one of those was the Snake Mistress herself, Anko Mitarashi. This woman was a grade A depiction of a Sadist, she loved to bring pain, embarrassment, or humiliation towards others. Maybe it was a trait she picked up with years of spending time as Orochimaru's apprentice.

"Who's the fresh meat, Ibiki? I hope he's a screamer!" She couldn't be more existed, it was actually quite disturbing.

"It's our lucky day, actually." Ibiki whipped Naruto around, showing everyone their new toy to mess around with for the rest of the night. "I introduce to you, the "hero" of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Awe, Ibiki, you tease! It's not my birthday, and yet you brought me the best present in the world." Anko squealed, before walking up to Naruto's comatose form, produced a kunai, and proceeded to slice open his cheek before licking the blood from the blade. "Ahhhhh, his blood is as sweet as I remember it was all those years ago."

"Heel, Anko, heel!" Ibiki joked, pushing Anko off of Naruto's body, "we are torturing him, not raping him."

"With Anko, sex and torture is the same thing," one of the other members of the KTIF stated quietly, getting a sneaker from the room.

"Hey!" Anko hissed, turning towards them only to flash them a sickly sweet smile, "it's no fun if it doesn't hurt."

"That's enough you two; we got some work to do." Ibiki murmured, pushing through the crowd with Naruto dragged behind him. His destination was clear; he was going to strap him to the patient torture seat. He placed Naruto on the flat part of this mangled horror and strapped his arms and legs to the sides of it, forcing Naruto to straddle this oddly constructed marvel. It had so many contours and dips that is was practically unsittable, causing pain for whoever sat on it before the actual torture began.

"Now, we gotta soften him up a bit, we don't want him passing out _too _early. So, who's up first for the bullwhipping position?" And almost instantly, each hand in the room rose. Full grown adults were jumping at the chance to bring one teenager unquestionable amount of pain and suffering, it was the most disturbing sight Naruto has ever seen.

"Hmmmmmm, let me see….Anko! You're up first," he declared, which got a few unsatisfied sighs, groans, and one loud cheer from one, Anko Mitarashi, who eagerly rushed to pick up the leather handled bull whip.

"Wait," she halted in mid whip, a thought crossing her mind, "what is the kid in for anyway?"

"Does it really matter?" Ibiki sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nope, I just like making my victims wait!" And without a single bit of remorse, Anko sent the thin tip of this whip careening towards Naruto's unclothed back, slicing through his creamy skin like butter with a sickening crack.

Naruto bit down on his bottom lip, unwilling to let this sadist like children getting anything from him, even the most simplest of eeps or shrieks.

"Oh," Anko giggled, pulling the whip back to once again lick the trickle of blood that stained the leather, "it looks like we have ourselves a tough guy. Too bad for him, I know the perfect spots to hit to make this nut crack!"

An onslaught of slashes and cracks sounded off in the dark dungeon that was the KTIF base of operation. Anko's arm and whip were a blur, her speed almost ungodly with this instrument as she rained down blow after bloody blow on Naruto's back, and not once in all the slashes of that whip did Naruto scream. But soon, Anko grew bored of the same old whipping sound, you can only bloody up someone's back so much until you find it tedious.

"Okay, bored now." she sighed, dropping the now red whip onto the floor before rushing to the tray of unholy tools to torment god's creatures. She settled on an old classic of hers, the finger nail ripper. Such an odd weapon but still the most effective. It was a piece of wood that had a metal contraction bolted on top. You would slide the pointed, flat end under your victim's nails, and then use the other side to apply force, popping that sucker clean off. Sometimes it could be quick, other you can be slow, but either way, it was all pain.

"Really Anko? The Ripper?" One interjected, "couldn't you pick a more meniousing device? Like the back breaker or the Wheel of dismemberment?"

"You and all those naysayers have underestimated this baby, have you ever had a fingernail ripped clean off, and then have someone rub salt in it? I don't think so!"

**6 Hours Later: 6 a.m. the next morning**

6 hours, 6 ungodly hours of nothing but torture and abuse. Even the curliest of men would have given their victims a minute to rest, to let their beatings seep in. But this team of highly trained monsters found it utterly idiotic too allow anything other than 24/7 abuse for their (un)lucky participant.

Naruto has taken a ride on every machine, weapon, and device these people could come up with, and now, all he can do is sit there while they used their last trick in the book, brass knuckles.

Naruto was strung up in the corner, both arms dangling high above him while tied by the chains he was dragged here by, his head hung low, revealing his tattered hair that was soaked in his own blood. His body, a bruised and bloody mess, hung for all to see, and more importantly, beat.

It was Ibiki who was up to the punching bag, the others either too tired or already asleep. He slipped on the brass knuckles, got into a good boxing stance, and went for a one two combo to the boy's ribs. Naruto's bones bent, if not broke, under the pressure of Ibiki's process hits, driving the wind out of the poor teen. All the boy could muster was a tired groan that was horsed and unsatisfying for Ibiki. After a full hour of this abuse, Naruto finally broke down, he screamed, yelled, even cried, just wishing someone would end him, but his prayer was unheeded.

He was left to his hell for the next 5 hours, and now the man that hangs before you is the product of those few hours. His body was riddled with cuts, lashes, burns, and bruises, not a single part of his body was left without something. His left eye was swollen to a massive degree, and his left arm was surely broken now. His finger nails were gone, not counting his left pinky and right birdie. Everything on his was destroyed; nothing was left unmarked by this experience.

There was no mistaken that Naruto truly wished to die, and soon his wish will become a reality.

"That's quite enough, Ibiki." A voice called to the scarred shinobi, stopping his sickening ultra combo from continuing. He turned to see the one armed one eyed fill in for the Hokage walk down the steps and enter the man's damp bog he called a base, "I think you have had enough fun for one night. Don't you agree, Ibiki?"

"Hai, Lord Hokage." Ibiki bowed, "it was getting boring anyway."

"I see. Well, anyway. Get him down and prepare him for his lakeside burial."

"Hmmmm, a lakeside burial, sir?" Ibiki questioned, untangling Naruto from his shackles, his body dropping to the ground with a harsh thud.

"Yes, we are going to drop this boy's body into a lake, or rather, the ocean that connects us with Wave country." Danzo explained, motioning for his two shadows to take the unconscious Naruto up the stairs so they could prepare.

"I don't understand. Wouldn't it be far easier and quicker to just cut his head off or light him on fire?" Ibiki's twisted thinking only brought a low laugh from Danzo's gullet.

"Oh trust me, Ibiki. Many have asked that," he stated coldly, watching as his two lackeys walked up those stairs, dragging along a lifeless corpse of a once bright and lovable boy, "but they have forgotten one crucial detail."

"And that would be?"

"The boy is the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed fox. If I kill him within the city limits, that demon will be released inside our borders." Danzo explained, "We need to kill him far away from our village, and what better way than to drop the child off in the middle of the ocean. The boy drowns and the Kyuubi will quite possibly parish along with his container, drowning in the deep sea."

"...But why Wave? Isn't Wave country an ally of Konoha?"

"Yes, but it could also give Konoha the diversion it needs." A chill rushed through the room as Danzo gripped the handle of his cane, "if the Kyuubi does survive this, it should target the closest village. That would be Wave country, and once the news of its demise reaches Konoha, we will have enough time to evacuate and save our people. It is…...a necessary sacrifice for the good of Konoha. Don't you agree Ibiki?"

"...H-Hai, Lord Hokage."

**Boat: 6:15 a.m.**

"How much farther is, sir?" Danzo questioned the captain of the boat as he stood on the apex of the boat. He looked over the vast ocean that was covered by a thin layer of fog. Slightly cliché but it seemed to set the mood of what was about to happen. In front of Danzo were 5 men, four of them were his own personal ANBU's, and the 5th and most important was Naruto. He was bound and gagged, awaiting his timely demise.

"About one minute, Lord Hokage. We will be at the perfect distance from Wave country to Konoha."

"Excellent, thank you, my good man." A minute passed, the engine cuts off, and now it was the time of reckoning. Naruto was pushed to the very edge of the boat, the protective railing swung from his path, giving him the perfect walkway for his untimely demise. Almost like a plank, if you will.

"Naruto Uzumaki is there anything else you would like to say before you plummet to the deepest depths of the unforgiving ocean."

"...yes," Naruto mumbled past the cloth shoved in his mouth, turning one last time to look into the eyes of his executioners, "you better make damn sure this kills me….because if I live, I will spend every waking hour preparing for the day when I destroy every last thing you people hold dear!"

"...Humph, very well. I will let you keep your fever dream." Danzo humored, a sly smile appearing on his face, "now, it is time. Fu, Torune, you know what to do."

And like that, Naruto was off the plank, a single slash to his chest, deeper than the ones that already covered his body and a debilitating spin kick to his sternum, and he was off the boat, plummeting fast into the awaiting blue.

*CRACK*

Back first into the water, a sickening crack was heard once his flat back connected with the surface of the drink. The remaining members of the boat watched from on high as Naruto sunk to the bottom, his body unmoving and his eyes closed.

Danzo, not feeling quite satisfied with this show of death and despair, produced a burlap sack that was wiggling and and squirming, indicating life. "Oh," Danzo murmured, walking to the edge of the walkway, "and take your flea-ridden cub with you." dropping the sack into the water waiting below, allowing the feline to share the same fate with its master.

**Flashback End: **

And that's how I arrived to such a troubling state. My lungs are taking on water, every second I spend under water the more my lungs begin to burn. My vision grew black as I watched the boat's propellers kick on, pushing this hunk of metal through the water, leaving me and my cub to die in a watery grave.

Is this how it ends? The great Naruto Uzumaki, the son of the most famous Hokage of all time, Minato Namikaze, is done in by an old man and a rigged judicial system? How….idiotic, I would have thought I would have died in the heat of battle, a entrechat chess match with each side pulling out all the stops, and then, at the very end, my opponent and I lock eyes, charge at each other one final time, and strike.

…..I guess kinda how things ended with me and Naomi Uchiha, if I had died that day, I would have died in the way I would have wanted. But, I guess I can't be too picky, seeing as my body can't move and it's sinking to the bottom of this ocean, I couldn't change this if I tried. I guess this is how I… what's that gnawing sensation?

I opened my eyes to find Nemian in front of me, chewing on the steel chains while his claws work its magic on the cuffs themselves. I look behind him and see the burlap sack he was imprisoned in had a hole in it, apparently Shima statement on Nemian's claws being strong enough to cut through chainmail was no exaggeration. Soon enough, the bonds broke, releasing me from my only confinement. I scooped up little Nemian and began to swim, but I had already sunk so deep and taken on so much water, I could barely pump my legs, let alone reach the top.

But I couldn't let that worry me, if Nemian could rescue me; I knew I had to do the same for him. I pushed all the negativity from my mind, and used everything within my power to push my lungs and legs to the limits until I finally, thankfully, broke the surface, breathing in the foggy air. Who would have known that drowning for only a few seconds would leave you so thirsty for air?

I leaned back, allowing my beaten body the joy of weightlessness as I let Nemian have a comfy spot on my chest, which he took with gusto. _"Now what?"_ I thought to myself, allowing the slow ripples of water slap off my abused form, _"I can't swim back, it would take me days, and the only reason I would go back to that hellhole is so I can light it on fire with my own two hands!" _

"Maybe I could go to Wave," I said, talking to no one in particular, "...hmmmmm, no, that wouldn't be ideal. Konoha has a base stationed in Wave, if they find me and rat on me; I would be putting Wave and its entire people in danger. I couldn't do that to them."

"...I guess, all I can do is wait for a passing boat. It can't be that long, right? This is a prominent trading route, there has to be a boat that will have no problem in taking in a new ship hand." I tried to reassure myself, thinking how great my imaginary dream of being a ship hand would truly be, "I know it, I know I will be saved. I just have to wait."

**4 Days Later: **

4 days…...4 GOD DAMN DAYS! How could this be possible? Not a single trade ship, freighter, hell, not even a freaking row-boat has gone through this route for 4 days! I am surprised I haven't starved to death, or eaten Nemian. I'm actually surprised he hasn't tried to eat me; he's just laid there, his occasional tail movement my only indication that he was still alive.

My body has become pruned and my wounds have been picked clean of bacteria or fungi by passing fish, so I guess that could be a plus. I haven't slept in 4 days, 5 if you count that night of abuse I spent chained up in a dungeon. Every waking minute filled my heart with dread, every moment wondering if this would be the day the creatures of the deep decided to have their way with my weakened body.

I closed my eyes, I just wanted a minute, a single minute of rest, that's all I am asking for. But once again, my wish went unheeded. I was startled awake after a solid 5 seconds of sleep by an incoming wave taking me and Nemian by surprise. He went under while my body was flipped and dipped deep into the blue, unforgiving, water.

Once again, I find myself underwater, body unwilling to move. Nemian was able to swim to the surface, well rested enough to get himself to freedom, but I was not so lucky. Before I could contemplate my final thoughts, the sun that has been beating down on me for days was blocked out. I looked above me to find the bottom of a fancy boat. My prayers were answered! I was saved!...But, there was one problem. I was still under the water; they would never be able to see me down here. I kicked and squirmed, trying to get the movement I desired but I wasn't so lucky.

I looked to my left, trying to find my cub, only to see his little paw before it vanished, it along with the body was being lifted onto the boat by an extended pole hook. _"At least one of us gets to live." _I thought, a small, satisfied smile graced my lips. I closed my eyes once more, content with my death, or rather, indifferent. I just didn't' have it in me.

I waited for the cold hand of the Shinigami to grip me, waiting to pull me into the underworld, but was surprised when I felt a different pull. a physical one. I felt a rush of water and a tremendous force pulling me forward before I felt my body surface.

My open eyes were graced by a form of netting, a fishing net I would guess, seeing as there were many freshly pulled fish flopping around me. I was quickly dropped on a wooden floor along with the other fish, my face pressed against the slightly watery floor.

"Why hello there," I looked up, trying to distinguish the features of the person who saved me, but this person's features were blocked by the sun, "who might you be?"

"N-Naruto, Naruto U-U-Uzumaki. And you?"

"Well, my name is Arwen. It is nice to meet you."

**Thank you all for reading, please review and PM me if you have any questions.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

**Naruto's awakening: The Elven People**

**I own Nothing**

Who would have thought there was such a thing as Elves? "_I thought they were just myths." _Naruto thought as he just glimpsed from the corner of his now opening eyes. a young beauty standing within his line of sight, glistening white skin that seemed to glow in the morning sun. Her hair, like her, was perfect, no strand was out of place, and from the sides of her hair pointed out the tips of her pointed ears. Her attire was something to behold as well. She were a stark white dress laced with silver and seemed handcrafted with the finest and softest silk you could find. She was an image of beauty and Naruto could not peel his eye from her.

"So, my mind was not playing tricks on me, I was actually rescued." He finally speaks, looking through his half lid left eye to the woman, seeing her turn to face him with a slight startle. Her face held a curtain glow to it, almost angelic. It seemed almost fitting for it to have a string of harps playing in the background, as if on queue. Her startled features softened as the aniscal scare deludes.

"It is good to finally see you up, young one." The lady stated as her voice flows from her lips like honey. "Your little friend has been worried sick." She gestured towards the vacant area on the floor that Naruto lies, pointing out a dip in the blankets that slowly, rhythmically rose and fell. Naruto slowly lifted the sheets, his teeth clenched in pain from his still burning wounds, and found a bundle of black fur with a tuft of grey fluff around the head. He smiled, seeing this little blob of fur and teeth lying next to him like a lost puppy but it was also converting. Who would have thought that this aggressive, cold cat would be so worried. It touched his heart, this cat was truly the only thing he had close to a friend, a harsh reality that caught Naruto at this very moment.

After watching his pet peaceful breath, he noticed the starch white bandages binding his form. They wrapped him, carefully placed with thought and attention, meticulously guided to every opened wound, cut, and bruise. Even his ripped finger nails seemed to be tapped probably.

"We found you in the water," The woman answered a question that was never asked, she seemed to be focused on the boy's beaten form, he supposed that was her reasoning for her abrupt sentence. "If I may, why _did _we find you out there?"

Naruto did not speak, he continued to look at the bandaged remains of his once untouched skin. He will soon heal, he knew this to be true, if the fox had anything to do about it, "_but what happens if I don't?" _was the question swimming his his clouded mind as his wrapped fingertips danced over the white covers, feeling the softness of the sheets. This was the moment Naruto began to take in his surroundings. He was on a boat, that was for certain, weather it was the low but still felt sway of that natural sea swishing and swashing against this wooden beast, the sound of said sloshing water radiating from where he lies or because of the deep blue sea that could be seen glistening from in front of him, just over the young beauty's shoulder. He seemed to be laying on a wooden floor, and by the smell of the fresh sea wafting through the air, he could take a guess that he was on the ship's main deck. That and the mast was about a few feet from him.

"...Reasons," Naruto droned, his eyes unwilling to make contact with said woman. He doesn't know why, but meeting her gaze is enough to make him feel something he never wants to again. A feeling to connect, a feeling to bond, a feeling he shall never lust for again.

"Oh, forgive me, it must have been something tragic, considering your condition." She stated sheepishly, but even with her nervous tone, it didn't seem like she was. Maybe it was the concussion he has sustained or the pain slowly returning bit by painstaking bit, but he could sense she cared and yet, she didn't. It confused him, he's never seen such an ability in anyone, to show sincere care and yet sincerity is the farthest thing from their mind. It's like what Sai used to try to do, mimic an emotion he's never felt, except she is perfect at it.

Her mind, like the boat both sat on, was adrift, she had her own problems, ones that shape her own fate, that is why she is on this boat.

"I am not surprised it happened. After I had time to think, floating along in that ocean, it all made sense. From day one I was a martyr, a…...thing that had overstayed his welcome. I was spat on, beaten, my loved ones were turned against me one by one long before that fateful day! But….over the years, I had forgotten. Forgotten what I truly was in their eyes. A monster, whose sole purpose was to be their personal deterrent and once I failed at that, I was cast out like a broken tool." His eyes were dull as they pointed towards the rising sun, such a beautiful sight to accompany Naruto's horrid memory. "I am not the child of prophecy my sensei spoke of, and I am not a hero, they took those things from me."

He lied to himself, ever since he was a child he told himself that one day he would be loved by all in that village, but no matter his strength or title, he was always the monster they never wanted.

"Whoever believed you to be a monster was a fool, because you are no monster," The woman spoke once more, her eyes now locked on his existential face. There was something….intriguing about this boy. She has always fond humans fascinating. Each one so fragile, their life span almost like a blink of an eye compared to hers and yet they do not fear it, some even embrace it, believing they must live in the moment to truly enjoy life. But this one, this one's the first human that seems…..truly broken, devoid of any…..purpose. She has met those who has faced heartache and lose, but they always seemed to carry a flame, no matter how small, of hope; but this one was empty, nothing was left in him no flame, no spark, nothing but emptiness. "I have seen terrible beast, monstrous creatures, and unholy beings of darkness. So believe me when I say, you are no monster."

"And how would you know this?"he questioned, "A monster can walking in human skin."

"True, but I can see something more in you." She lied, trying to see if one's sweet prace could spark something within the man, "I have felt this since the moment we fished you out of the water." But, unfortunately, her prace seemed to do nothing but fall on deaf ears as he continued to stare off into space.

After a deep moment of silence, Naruto's mind came back from it's deep dip in the fog that is his thoughts, and remembered his manners, "I did not ask to be rescued, but I thank you for what you have done for me and my friend here. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"What is his name?" The lady questioned, her eyes pointed directly at the spot where Naruto's furry little friend resided.

"it's Nemian, he was given to me as a…...I guess you could say pet. I know not many have Lions as pets but, I guess I'm not like many people." He said with a wayward smile, his hand falling delicately on the cub's descending belly, feeling the beat of his heart.

"What's _your _name?" She questioned once more, laying infasence on the "your". She wished to know this boy, at least his name, and maybe if he sees her persistence in wanting to know him, she might break through his hardened shell, eventually.

"...Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. And your's?" He said, raising a hesitant hand from under his blanket as it reached out to the Elf sitting before him, a half hearted smile gracing his beaten features. She looked to his hand, smiled, and gripped it with a firm hold.

"Arwen Undomiel, it is a pleasure to meet you…...for the second time, I suppose."

"...Second time? Oh yes! I remember now," Naruto remarked, pulling his hand from her's as he turned his eyes back to the never ending blue that was the ocean they sailed upon, "you must have been the woman who spoke to me after pulling me out of the water." After exchanging names and pleasantries, a wave of silence washed over the two as they sat there, one staring into the infinite sea while the other contemplated on what she could say next. But soon, another presents appeared from a door, leading to the bottom of this boat. It was a man by the looks of him, he had the same ears Arwen had but they seemed slightly more pointy and his hair resembled that of pure, natural silver, gleaming in the morning light.

"Lady Arwen," he uttered, bowing to the lovely elven woman, like a lowly servant bows to his king or queen, "we shall be in sight of Lothlorien within the hour."

"Thank you Cohnal," she spoke softly, standing from her knelt position, dusting off her gleaming white dress, and reached her hand for Naruto's bandaged one. "give me your hand, I have something to show you." Looking to her, he nervously stretched out his hand, which she grabbed tenderly before gently pulling back, alerting Naruto's weakened body that it needed to move. It was slow at first, each muscle moved sent a jolt of pain that practically paralyzed him with pain, but -being persistent- Arwen wasn't going to give up on him. Soon, her persistence paid off as our hero stood on the deck of this mighty ship, a bit wobbly of course, but standing nonetheless.

"What do you want me to see?" He questioned, his arm now draped around the Elven princess's shoulder as they walk, inch by inch, towards the open door which was being held open for the two by Cohnal.

"My people," She uttered, passing the threshold as they took each step downwards together, their way lit by the rising sun that shined through the door. With the light, Naruto noticed the bottom of this ship was just as elegant as the top. Each wall was etched with a design he has never seen before and yet, he gather it must be some form of unknown language, something these elves must speak, he guessed. The light also showed him the bottom of the stairs and the people that waited for him and Arwen down there. They had the same ears as Arwen and the same regel aura about them, the held themselves in high regard and it seemed their clothing matched that fact.

They arrived at the bottom of the stairs and were meet with many interested stares. Most were directed at the new human boy that walked in with the elf Princess. It was such a rare sight to see a human boy on any elven ship, let alone this one which aimed it's sail and mast towards the homeland of all elven people, Lothlorien. Even the boy's wounds were slightly intriguing to the people.

"Hello, Lady Arwen," one spoke bowing slightly to his leader, respect and slight admiration was in his words as he looked to the princess once she passed. "It is always a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine," she said with a tender smile, one that never left her face as she looked over the group that rested here.

"May I ask why I came down here?" Naruto wondered, being lead to a waiting chair that he graciously took, his wounds and bones still screaming in pain. How long must he endure such pain? The Kyuubi beast was being all to silent and he needed this wretched beast, whether he would admit it or not.

"Two reasons come to mind," she said, "you needed to move, you've been out for 5 days and laying for a few days like that could affect your muscles and skin. The second one was I wished for everyone on this ship to meet our new crew member."

"New member?" Naruto pondered, "I don't recall asking or agreeing to be a member of this ship."

"You sound bitter, child." Another elf spoke, this one with brown like hair that shined in the candlelight, "maybe we should have left you to the creatures of the sea."

"I never said I wasn't thankful for what you did," he remarked, his face turning to a slight scowl as he looked to the one who spoke up, "but my gratitude ends there. I do not follow strangers to some unknown land just because they wish me too."

"How could you turn down the opportunity to go to Lothlorien," The previous elf voiced, her hands tucked within her sleeves, "It is the most beautiful land in all of middle earth. Few humans have ever seen it's beauty."

"I don't know what Lothlorien or Middle Earth is and I don't need to," he sighed, bring a shaky hand to his face to itch a scratch he couldn't get a few minutes ago, "I do not mean to disrespect this place but I did not ask to go and I don't feel too comfortable being whisked away to a magical land of some sorts with people I barely know."

"I know, Naruto, I know." Arwen spoke up, her hands placed on his as she lightly stroked it tenderly, "but we….just assumed. Especially in your physical condition that you might wish to come with us to our homeland. And besides, with the position you are in, I don't believe you will be going anywhere substantial for a while."

"I am a quick healer, I will be back on my feet in a few days. I will be fine on my own," Naruto said, clenching his arm muscles to see if they were still tender, regretting his decision to as he felt the pain grip him once again.

"You mustn't exacerbate your wounds," She ordered in a kind way, something that was rather odd to Naruto. Most doctors or nurses or even friends like Sakura would be harsh or rude about things such as that, but she seemed caring, gentle, something that has alluded Naruto's life. "You may heal fast, so you claim, but any wound won't heal probably without the right rest and proper medicine. We have a wide assortment of herbs that could help speed up the process of healing. So, if you come with us, you would be doing yourself a favor as well."

A question came to the young man's mind as he stared at the lady in white, "Why do you care for my safety? I am nothing to you."

"I wouldn't say you're nothing to me," Arwen said tenderly, "you are a living, breathing creature of this world. That makes you something. My care for your safety, on the other hand, is strictly a need to help and provide. I would hope, if I was in the same position, that you or whoever stumbled upon my body, would show the same care."

"...I couldn't say with confidence that I would do the same, not after what happened to me. But, I appreciate what you are doing for me." He smiled, a true genuine smile that brightened up his face, or at least a portion of it since it wasn't his usual toothy grin that melted the hearts of his friends, or at least that's what he used to believe before _that _happened. "Very well, I won't fight you on this, Arwen. I will stay a few days in your homeland and truly try to rest up."

"I'm glad, Naruto," Arwen smiled, standing for Naruto's side, "I wouldn't want to force you to do anything that made you feel uncomfortable." They sat down their for the remainder of the hour, each elf taking their turn asking Naruto questions about his homeland, the reason he was drifting in the ocean blue, and how he got so mangled. Many of the questions were ignored, seeing as those wounds, both metaphorically and literally, were not healed enough for him to talk about them. Even Naruto asked a few questions, one that was the most important was were are they going and what is Middle Earth?

"Middle Earth? Lothlorien? Have you never heard of these places?" An Elder Elf asked, even though he didn't look old, he was still 5,000 years Naruto's senior, "the legends of Middle Earth and Lothlorien have been recorded from the beginning of time."

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of this Middle Earth nor Lothlorien," Naruto answered with a shake of his head, trying to rack his brain for anything that reminded him of these places, but, sadly, nothing came to mind.

"Have you ever left the Elemental Nations, child?" The elder asked once more, moving to the back of the ship only to return with a rolled up parchment that looked almost ancient, the discoloration and the many holes told him so.

"I can't say I have," Naruto answered, watching the elf man place the rolled up parchment on a table that rested behind Naruto, "but I also wasn't told that there was _anything _beyond our borders."

"*tch* typical humans," one spoke, his arms folded before him as he leaned against the wooden haul they stood in, "believing they are the only people in this world. Arrogant, every one of them."

"Hush now, Agis. We don't need to hear more of your hatred of man," The elder spoke, his face twisting into a sneer as he turned to his Elvish brother in arms and blood, "now, boy, look here. I will show you the true map of this world," The man said, unraveling the parchment to reveal a massive map that depicted the whole area of this world that Naruto lives in. It was massive, the Elemental Nation was only a fraction of the land that was depicted in this map. There were two Land masses that took up most of this map, each labeled simply as "Middle Earth"and "Mordor".

"I am surprised that your people don't talk about Middle Earth, our people have an extensive trade route with one of your villages," Arwen said, pointing to said village on the map.

"Wave country? That's why you were there, you were trading and selling goods?" Naruto asked, looking to Arwen for confirmation.

"Of course, we were leaving for our homeland and we wanted to sell and gather a few things for the long trip." She nodded, "this wave country holds many spices, ingredients, and delicious fish that our people have come accustomed to eating when we make the trip to our homeland. It's practically a tradition."

"...I don't know why my old home wouldn't mention such a huge portion of this world." Naruto said, stroking his chin in thought as he squinted at the map, "why keep it a secret?" "_Did Tsunade know about this place? Did my father? Who else knew about this? This just doesn't make any sense." _But Naruto's eye was caught on something that he noticed on the map, it was the the other half of the map, the huge landmass that sat side by side with Middle Earth that seemed to be forgotten in this conversation of countries. "Mordor?" Naruto asked, placing a finger on the name, catching the Elder's attention, "what is Mordor?"

A physical chill rushed through the ship as the name went around the group of elves, each one holding a odd mix of anxiety and worry,"It was once…..nothing more than a wasteland riddled with fire, ash, and dust…...But now, it is home of the most dangerous creature of all living things."

"Dangerous creature? What do you mean by that?"

"It's name…..is simply, Sauron." The Elder shuttered at the name, each elf seemed to turn at the very mention of such a name, "Some say that his evil is guarding those very black gates, the black gates that keep him and his horde of Orks and Uurks at bay. Never sleeping, never dormant. They very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. And the very eye of this monstrous land is none other than the dark lord himself, Sauron."

"Sauron," Naruto said, testing the name himself and even being ignorant to this creature's power, the name still held a power to it, the weight the name held.

"Lady Arwen," Cohnal spoke, peering from the top of the stairs, standing at attention as the sun shines on his form, his hair almost waving in the morning breeze, "we have arrived at Lothlorien. We will be boarding shortly."

"That fast?" Naruto asked, shakily rising to his feet, Arwen walking to his side to give him some much needed support, "I thought he said it would take an hour?"

"You've been talking for an hour, Naruto. Time flies when you're around good company." She smiled as she, Naruto, and the rest of the Elvish group walked to the top, greeting the sight of their beloved home, Lothlorien. The beauty of said place was breathtaking to Naruto, this world…..it couldn't be put to words. The trees stood higher than any building that was erected in Konoha's market district, and each tree had roots so massive that it looked like they could be their own trees. The boats swivelled into a stream that took them towards their destination, a wooden fortress that hung high within the trees, something that also took Naruto's breath at the sheer ingenuity it brought.

The people of the Elemental Nations have never built something this ilaborient or beautiful, this could never be topped by the structural marvels of the nation Naruto resided from. He now understands why these elvish people spoke so highly of this place. If Middle Earth is just as striking as this place, he couldn't wait to see it.

The boat soon docked under the magnificent tree fort and everyone began to scatter, searching for their places in the tree to stay while Naruto, with Nemian wrapped in his arms, and Arwen take an easier time and route to take Naruto to a private room where he will be allowed to lay out and stretch his muscles for the up and coming days.

"This place…..I'm at a loss for words to describe it's beauty." Naruto gushed as he looked at the fabulous architecture of the spiral staircase he was walking up right now. "I couldn't imagine all the time and effort that must have been put into this. It's truly amazing."

"Thank you, my father is proud of this place as well," Arwen insured, stopping at the top and ushering Naruto into his new room. It wasn't much, at least not to Arwen, but to Naruto it was a step up. It was bigger than Naruto's usual bedroom back in Konoha with a massive king sized bed with a smooth wooden frame around it. there were chairs, nightstands, paintings of gorgeous sights, this room made Naruto's entire apartment look like garbage that's been lit on fire and stomped out. "Caras Galadhon has been a home away from home, I suppose. I've spent many years here, I know every nook and cranny of this place."

"Yes, and I wish I had time to do the same," Naruto said, slowly lowering himself to the sweet comfort of the bed, allowing his aching wounds rest, as little furry friend parked his body right next to Naruto. Using him for another source of heat, "but, I do not have the luxury of that."

"And why is that?" Arwen interjected, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, resting her back on the footboard of the bed. "You don't have to leave, you know. There isn't a rule that states you must leave when you are healed."

"I have my reasons," He said, reverting back to his introverted ways. He couldn't say why he needed to leave to her, nor was he willing to. He needed to find something, something that will give him the power to…...do what? Was he really, truly thinking about destroying Konoha? Has he become that bitter in this short amount of time. "_Why shouldn't I?" _Naruto questioned himself, zoning out from the outside world, "_they hunted me down like a common criminal, falsely accused me of being some genocidal monster, and then, if that wasn't the worst of it, they subjected me to their worst forms of torture they could conjure up in their sick, collective minds. They deserve to burn!" _

"_You sound like Naomi," _His more rational side seemed to say, his heart and mind battling about who was truly right, "_you feel wronged by someone and you decided to take it out on everyone. If you burn Konoha, you burn many that are innocent in all of this. You will only be justifying their actions towards you." _

"_I am nothing like Naomi! I fought for the betterment of my village for years. I put up with their shit FOR YEARS! And then, when I got rid of their biggest problems, the Akatsuki, the had no more use for me. And innocences? There is no such a being in that hell hole of a village! They all hated me, they all stood there, watching as I descended into a deep depression. I am not like Naomi, I am better than her!" _

"Naruto, are you alright?" Naruto's banter within himself was soon cut short as he was pulled into reality from Arwen's soothing voice. He looked to her, his eyes now focused and unglazed, "are you alright? I've been calling your name for about 2 minutes. I was worried."

"I-I'm fine, I guess I was in my own little world." Naruto sighed, another flare of pain rushed through as he clinched his teeth tightly. "So, how long would you say it would take to reach the nearest village or town from here?"

"Well, our fastest ship can reach the nearest village in about a day. It's far quicker to go threw the lakes and streams than the big ocean we had to cross." Arwen said with a sigh, seeing as her "subtle" hints didn't penetrate that thick, probably damaged, skull of his. She knew that this child couldn't heal as quickly as he seems to want her to believe and if he pushed himself too far, he won't make it out of the borders of Lothlorien. "_He reminds me of Aragorn, such blind bravado and a strong drive. If he pushes himself too far, I fear for what will befall him. I would hate to see such a young boy be hurt even more than he already is." _

"Thank you," He said absentmindedly as he stares off at the beautiful scenery outside the window as his fingers roamed through the fur of his companion. This wasn't going to be easy for him, he just got out of being laid out for a while in Konoha, now he was being laid out once more to try and rest his tired body. "_I guess I must be patient." _He thought, looking towards Arwen, "_at least I'm not alone this time. And besides, who knows, it might be a bit more interesting than I think." _

**Two days Later: **

"_It seems like I am 0 for 2 in predicting the future." _he seethed as he woke in his room. It has been two days of nothing but medicine, which stung worse than sticking bees covered in vinegar and salt in the wounds, strength exercises which mostly consisted of getting up, walking around, and laying back down, and minimal small talk with Arwen or any other passing Elf who had a question or two for the incapacitated human.

The only one of the two that seemed to be having fun is Nemian, who would rush outside every morning to find something new and exciting in the thick forests that surrounded this palace. It was the furball's little playground and he was determined to search and play in every inch of it, even if it killed him. "_At least one of us is having fun," _Naruto sighed as he felt the little puff of fur wiggle from under the blankets and rush through the open door, down the spiral staircase and out to the awaiting woods, unseen again until dinner. "_But I wish he wouldn't leave me all by my lonesome," _he joked, a fake pout appearing on his face as he feels another presence drawing near the room. In all honesty, these two days of nothing interesting or time consuming gave him the ability to think, which he took full advantage of.

He needed a plan for what he will do once he leaves in a few days or weeks, seeing as his little fox friend is _still _unresponsive. He was still conflicted about what he wanted to do with Konoha. He could fulfill his promise to Danzo and slaughter the bastard and the village that allowed him to rule, or take this chance at a fresh start by the hand and follow it to take him wherever it leads him. Which ever choice he chooses will be a life changer.

If he decided on either one, he knew he needed to do one thing, get stronger. His strength, like his body, just feels…...weaker. Especially after losing to his Ex-friends. Granted, they used numbers and strategy to take him down, but still, it almost felt like he couldn't put up a fight at all. He needed more training and he wasn't going to get it sitting around. And besides, who knows what this new world holds. It already holds Elves and, from what he's heard through the grapevine, Hobbits, Dwarves, and even Trolls….whatever the hell those things are. He mustn't get soft or weak, especially in this odd and new world.

"Our new guest seems to be wide awake," A voice called to him, taking his concentration from a single patch of sealing. It was a man's voice, a powerful, foreboding voice that held power and the utmost respect. Naruto looked to the door, noticing the new face that appeared within the frame with Arwen behind this new fellow, uncaracteristacly quiet to say the least. "My daughter has filled me in on your condition."

"Oh, and I guess said daughter is….standing right behind you? Elrond, Lord of Rivendell." Naruto stated knowingly, catching the said leader by surprise. He walked with grace as he moved to a side of Naruto's bed as Arwen still kept her position behind her father, a slight worried expression playing on her lips. Naruto recalled Arwen's long winded discussion on her father and his choice to bring her here to be safe and secure in the walls of Caras Galadhon. She told him the tales of her father, the great warrior and the respected leader of Rivendell. She spoke highly of him, and yet she still held slight resentment for him, but nothing major. Like a teenager towards her strict parent. But what caught Naruto and probably Arwen off-guard was his surprise drop in.

"Have you heard of me, child?" The man questioned, cocking a perplexed eyebrow as he examined the boy's form.

"No…..well, yes, I suppose." Naruto said tentatively, looking to his surprisingly quiet savior, "your daughter has told me much about you in my stay here. And I must say, I am very impressed."

The Elvish lord smiled at the boy's kindness, intrigued by his phrase, "I should be more impressed by you, Naruto," Elrond stated,waving Naruto to move closer to him, which he did rather slowly, but he reached his destination soon enough, "I have lived many years but I haven't heard of such a tale as yours. Floating in the ocean, unspeakable wounds left free to the elements, being snagged up by a passing boat. It must have been a very interesting night for you, if I do say so myself."

"You have no idea," Naruto said, watching as the man examined the bandaged wounds that covered his left arm.

"So, father. What brings you here?" Arwen interjected, quickly and rather distraught, breaking her father's concentration on the boy's injuries. "I thought….the reason I was sent here was because-"

"Please sweetie, not in front of our guest." He said quietly, running his thumb over the opened skin, "If you must know, I had planned on arrive a few hours after you. But, thanks to a few….setbacks, it took a bit longer than expected."

"What are you doing, Erlond?" Naruto questioned, watching as this elf lord continued to examine him, "I'm ignorant to your people's culture, but is it customary to fondle the people you just met?"

"What? of course not," the Lord smiled, if you could call it that, just a smile twitch in the corner of his mouth and a slight pitch switch in his voice, "I wanted to see if their is something I could do to speed up your recovery. I have been known as a great healer."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Naruto said all too quickly, respectfully snatching his arm from the Elvish king as he shuffles out of his comfy bed. At first he had a bit of trouble standing properly, but soon, with the help of a makeshift crutch which was given to him by a few elvish women who were generous enough to make it for him, he was standing and ready to move. "I appreciate the offer but healing like that… it just doesn't seem right, ya know? It doesn't seem natural." he lies profusely, walking past both father and daughter, slowly of course, but still.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Arwen questioned, watching her limping patient leave his humble abode.

"Morning walk of course, can't stay in bed all day." He couldn't allow them to heal him, not now nor ever. Not because he doesn't want to get out of her any quicker, god no. It's the principle of the fact. He has been thinking for the past two days, more than he should. He can't believe how dependent he was on that damned fox, waiting for that furball to save him from the pain.

He was under the bastards thumb, waiting and praying for him to finally heal him. What type of weakling is that?! If he needed strength he didn't need to depend on anyone or anything, he needs to be able to stand on his own, nothing to support him or help him except himself.

He made his way down the spiralled stairs and continued his morning walk. This has helped him greatly with building up his strength and giving him a good estimate of how healed he was. He decided to go off the beaten path and take the longer, unpaved route through the forest, seeing as he was feeling a bit restless these past few days and he needed to push himself. Only when you push yourself further do you know how far you can go. He continues his trek through the treacherous terrain with minimal problems besides the few times his crutch would get snagged on a few ground level roots. He couldn't help but feel a tug on his heart at the silence, allowing his memories of his friends and loved ones come back to him.

"_Why," _he wondered, tightening his fist around the handlebar of his wooden crutch, his teeth clenched, and his eyes slammed shut, "_why does it have to be me? Why can't I just be…..normal? All of them, they all turned on me. Shikamaru, Choji, Sai, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Lee, and even Sakura and Hinata, the two people I could never see doing that to me. Their faces, their names, their personalities, they all have a place in my heart…..and I hate them! I hate them so much! And yet, I love them…..Kami! Why do I care?!" _

His moment of emotional weakness was only fleeting, as he heard the familiar sound of swiftly moving bodies within the canopy above him. Leaves began to rain from the tree tops above him as he watched blurs blaze above him, each aiming towards an open area.

"_Shinobi's?" _Was the place Naruto's mind went to first, the style of tree hopping was practically identical as his sensei's or a trained professional like the ANBU. Curiosity propelling his actions, Naruto takes his first tentative steps towards the open field. He arrived on the outskirts of the forest that encompassed this supposed "training" grounds.

As he peered out behind a huge oak, he caught a glimpse of the group, a 4 man team of elves. It relieved Naruto to see it was just simple elves, even though the mere thought that elves could be "simple" was very odd to him. But he digressed. The four elvish people sported the same outfits, a waist length cloak with a matching hood that came to a point in the front which was decorated by the same decor designs the boat had. They all carried quivers filled to the brim with arrows and their bows strung on their back, the string keeping it attached to their person. Another attachment was two blades, to long to be knifes but too short to be swords, from where Naruto stood it was hard to see.

They were dressed to kill and there was an aura around the group that spoke they knew what they were doing with those weapons, so Naruto decided to keep a low profile, at least until he figures out what these four are up to.

He watched for a few more minutes, watching as the group partook in a very aggressive form of training, each one coming at the other like they were prepared to kill the other. It was a beautiful, if not suspenseful, show, one which got Naruto's blood pumping and mind racing. Is this what elves were capable of? Under their regal, suave exterior was a raging warrior that wouldn't hesitate to make your entrails outer ones. His thoughts were interrupted by a whizzing arrow slicing through the bark his face was inches from and embedding in a tree behind him, about 5 inches deep.

"You've been spying on us long enough," One said, reading another arrow in his grip and taking aim, "show yourself or next time I won't miss."

"I'm unarmed," Naruto quickly stated, not in the mood to argue or play with the same man who is aiming an arrow straight for Naruto's brain. He slowly, and I mean slowly, limped out of his position, greeting the group with one arm up, the other preoccupied with his crutch. "I mean you no harm, I was just….observing."

"Ah, it's you Naruto." One spoke, his friend dropping his aim almost immediately, "what are you doing out of bed?"

"I was on my morning walk and….anyway, that doesn't matter. Who are you people and where did you learn how to fight like that?" Naruto wondered, his curiosity and his usual fascination of anything combat related. The one who recognized him from before stepped forward, pulling back his hood to reveal silky silver colored hair and striking blue eyes that could pierce the deepest and darkest heart.

"It's me, Cohnal." He said, bowing slightly, not because of obligation but just for politeness sake. "These are my brothers and sister, and we are just training. Brushing up on our skills, can't let your skills rust, not even for a moment. Especially now."

"Who trained you? You guys seemed very talented," Naruto praized.

"Thank you, and we teach each other. Every elf is trained in the basics of dagger combat and bow training. It's in our culture." Cohnal said rather matter of factly, pulling his bow and demonstrating for Naruto by quickly and effectively plucking a ripe apple from it's spot on a tree with a single arrow. "I've been training for years to axcell as much as I have. So, basically, we are all our teachers." On and on this little meet and greet continued to go, Naruto asking questions about their style, the blades they us, and the bows they've created. He was fascinated by these people and their fighting style, he couldn't stop watching them once the continued onward with their battle. It was almost like watching two dancers beautifully choreographed a 2 minute dance. They flipped, dipped, pivoted, swung, slash, dash, it was simply amazing.

After about an hour or two, the group took Naruto back to his room, seeing as he pushed himself a bit too much with staying out that long. They reached his room and helped him to bed, each one saying their goodbyes and headed towards the exit until Cohnal heard Naruto speak up.

"Hey Cohnal, can I speak with you for a second?" Waving his brothers and sisters off, Cohnal returned to the blondes side, gazing in the boy's direction, "would you be willing to take on an apprentice?"

"...I don't know, it will take a year, maybe two before you can even get close to a beginners level. It will take time, patience and dedication." Cohnal stated, rubbing his smooth chin in thought, waiting for the blondes response, "and besides, weren't eager to leave? You seemed dead set on leaving this place as soon as physically possible."

"Yes, to train, to find a way to become stronger. You can help me do that," Naruto said, nodding as if he was approving of his own idea. "And if that means I will stay here for a bit longer, then so be it."

"Very well, I will train you. But we first must get the approval of Lord Elrond, I don't think he would be to pleased that I gave our secrets to an outsider." The high elf thought sagely, tucking his arms within his baggy sleeves.

"Speak to me about what?" Elrond questioned, walking through the open door to greet the two, his face as stoic as ever.

"Ah, Lord Elrond, great timing as usual," Cohnal said, bowing to his better, a sly smile playing on his lips, "Now, our guest here stumbled upon my group and I as we trained. He's now wondering if he could be taken under my wing to learn our style of fighting and I wanted to come to you about this. So, what do you say?"

The Lord of Rivendell stood still, silent and pondering, his eyes shut to the world as he thought on the idea. After a while of waiting patiently for his word, Elrond opened his eyes and, with a chartist smile, stated "I don't see why not, but he will be your responsibility." pointing a regal digit towards the now fully standing Cohnal, "you cannot slack off nor push him off on your siblings. You and only you can train him."

"Understood, it will be my pleasure," Cohnal smiled. He saw this as a new challenge, something that he's craved for about 1,000 years now. After training his siblings in his style he didn't have much in the way of stimulation. Each member had been fully trained in their own version or variation of the traditional elven fighting style, so he really didn't have anyone else to teach. But now, this one truly presented one. With humans, their lifespan is dwarfed compared to theirs, so he wouldn't really have time to really drill in the fundamentals in this child. He will have to mold his training program around Naruto, creating a new one specifically for Naruto in mind.

"And you, young one," the Lord of Rivendell turned his attention on the bedridden youngster, "this will take time, years maybe, and we will have to wait until you are fully healed before we begin. Is this what you want? From what my daughter has told me of you, you were rather adamant of leaving as soon as you were well. Is that not the case anymore?"

But Naruto just smiled, unwavered by the time or physical restraints, "I was single minded, I didn't see the big picture. And besides, what will a few years do except help me? I have no place to go and I'm not wanted anywhere. So, if you are willing…...I would like to stay a little longer."

**Thank you all for reading, please review and if you have any questions, please, feel free to PM me. Sorry for the delay, it's been a long few months and a tough new year. Sorry this one is a bit shorter but I promise the other will be much longer. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

**Naruto's Training pt. 1: The Nightmares**

**I own Nothing**

**Three Weeks Later: **

A barren plain is our setting, two formidable figures stood before each other, both dawning a forest green hood covering their faces and features to the world. One dawned a bow, quiver, and two golden handled daggers sheathed from view while the other came with his bare hands and nothing more. The trees surrounding them swayed in the breeze as the wind picked up, even the blades of grass were helpless but to follow the rhythm of the wind.

"Are you sure about this?" One questioned, pulling the bow from around him and begins to load an arrow, "I've already agreed to train you, you don't have to prove anything to me."

"I need something to get my blood rushing." The other said a smirk was the only thing visible to the outside world. "And what better way than to test my skills against my sensei. I want to see where I stand on your level."

"You didn't even grab a bow or dagger, I feel like this is rather…...unfair." But, even with his vocalized displeasure of this disadvantage, he kept his bow pre-loaded and was prepared for anything like a proper warrior would. "I've never fought an unfair fight, I am not going to start now."

"You worry too much Cohnal, I know what I am doing," the young man cooed, sliding his hands from underneath his cloak to reveal his tightened gloved fists, "where I came from, I wasn't too shabby in a fight with only my bare hands. Now, if you don't mind. I've been itching for a fight for the past few weeks and I would appreciate it if we got underway. And I think I speak for me and everyone in attendance, don't you think Arwen?" His head turned towards the smiling goddess that was Arwen who stood at the base of one of the many trees that surround this training station. Once he spoke the name of the elven princess, each tree branch began to move, indicating the presence of each and every elf that was in attendance this evening. Even the Elf-lord himself appeared beside his daughter, a regal smile gracing him today as he looked on as a simple spectator.

"Yes Naruto," the elven princess spoke rather cooley, a tender smile playing on her lips while she gazed at the cloaked figure, "we are all waiting with bated breath to see what you have to offer. It is not every day a human faces an elf with no sword or shield."

"The last time I faced such a bold fighter, he was shy a head afterwards," Lord Elrond proclaimed with a humorous chuckle, "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, young one. Cohnal is our sharpest shot behind Legolas and he shall not hold back. Will you, Cohnal?"

"No Lord Elrond, my aim will be steady and my shots true." The elf agreed, even though a bit uneasy about possibly hurting the boy all over again with one misplaced, or, in this case, well-placed shot. "_Glancing blows shall do, I don't want to harm him just yet. He need's to make it to a single session before I begin that." _

"I do not know who this Legolas character is but I assure you, I won't be harmed by a single one of Cohnal's arrows." Naruto's bold claim got a collective laugh from all in attendance. Even Arwen, who's seemed to be quite aloof since she's arrived here had to hide a quiet titter behind her dress sleeve.

"I hope your confidence doesn't seal your fate, child." Elrond's final words of wisdom signaled the beginning of this spar. Each warrior sunk into their own variation of a battle stance. Naruto, after a good stretch of his muscles, stood confidently like he did on the day of his most glorious victory, his arms folded in front of his chest and his stance wide and strong. His years of training leading him up to this moment; this will be fun.

Cohnal pulled back on his string, bringing both bow and arrow to the ready as he took quick aim at Naruto and fired, allowing this deadly projectile to cut through the air towards it's waiting target.

"_Don't be too flashy," _Naruto thought, as he watches the arrow inch even closer and closer to his person, causing many to gasp at his lack of moment, "_don't use the Rasengan or anything destructive. swift release will do, and maybe steel release if it gets too serious." _Time seemed to slow to a crawl, each person's eyes were glued to Naruto's stationary body as the arrow reaches him, literally pressing into his cloak. Each painfully drawn out second found the arrow digging deeper into the fabric, many waited for red to soak his garment. Even Cohnal was shocked at his slow reaction time. Even the slowest human he's met had enough common sense to at least try and move from the path of his arrow.

"Jinton: Mueishō (Swift Release: Shadowless Flight)" he uttered as strong as a whisper, Naruto's body disappeared with unquestionable speed, leaving his cloak to be pierced and pinned to an adjacent tree by his opponent's projectile. The audience wasn't even quick enough to process his speed before he appears in front of Cohnal, a harsh hail mary delivered straight to the silver haired elf's face.

"What speed!" Lord Elrond found himself shocked and awestruck at Naruto's quick movement, it was instantaneous, almost too quick for any eye to process it. Even the eyes of the all mighty elves couldn't catch that speed nor could they match it.

"That was incredible." Arwen uttered, her eyes just as wide as her fathers as she tried to replay the image in her mind but was hard pressed to do so. The gawking of the spectators was soon turned into avid watching as Cohnal picked himself up from his shell shocking cold cock and wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I've never seen such speed," he said, replacing his bow back on his person as he unsheathed his shimmering daggers, poised to take Naruto on in mid-range combat, "how did you do that, if I may ask?"

Naruto, his smirk all but visible, said, "we all have our secrets Cohnal, I would like to have my own." They both exchanged knowing glances before the two engaged in hand to dagger combat, each throwing and countering blows, Cohnal more than Naruto. Naruto, a bit more overwhelmed than Cohnal, began to falter in his natural human speed and reaction time. Soon Naruto's clothing, which consisted of nothing more than a green, long sleeve shirt, a leather vest like armor, and brown pants, were riddled with cuts and slashes. "_This man is something else,"_ Naruto thought, gripping the elf's dagger with his darkened black hand, "_his natural speed is astounding. It seems like he can predict my moves before I can even do them." _He slid backward, trying to gain some distances from this blade happy elf boy, but said elf boy wasn't willing to give up his harsh assault. He rushed the distance Naruto was trying to create and went in close for a cross like slash across Naruto's stomach.

The blade sliced through his clothing like butter but scrapped across Naruto's now steely skin with zero damage, leaving Cohnal open to abuse. Quickly, Naruto countered with a harsh knee strike to Cohnal's lowered chin, catching it perfectly and sending him stumbling backwards. "Jinton: Mueishō (Swift Release: Shadowless Flight)" Once again, Naruto activated his swift like ability and blazed past the dazed Cohnal. Before the elvish man could catch his bearings, he was dealt a harsh strike to his collar bone with a well placed hardened elbow straight into it. Cohnal quickly grabbed Naruto's arm and with one fluid motion, flipped Naruto on his ass before him. "Your tricks might be interesting and your speed commendable," Cohnal said, pulling Naruto up from the dirt and twisting the teens arm behind his back before producing a blade to the boy's throat. "but your hand to hand combat skills leaves much to be desired. Do you submit?"

"I haven't given up before, I won't start now." Naruto chuckled, before his body exploded in a plume of white smoke, blinding and startling Cohnal before he quickly tried to find any sign of Naruto.

"Your tricks can't save you forever, Naruto." Cohnal yelled to his surroundings, looking towards the outline of this battlefield for his opponent, his bow now drawn and a arrow loaded, "nor will hiding."

"Ah, but the element of surprise is key to my fighting style." a golden blur was all Cohnal could make out before a elbow crushed into the right side of his face with ballistic speeds, catching him off guard and jarring him from his spot. The hit flipped him on his ass quickly, giving him seconds to act before Naruto was upon him once more. He grabbed his bow and quickly turned towards the fastly approaching Naruto, pulled back quickly on his string, and fires; impacting the blonde fool who dared to rush towards an Elf with a bow. The arrow plunged into Naruto's gullatte, causing this body to drop like a rock as it skids to a hault.

Once again, when the body came to a complete halt, the corpse exploded in a puff of smoke, leaving Cohnal annoyed and slightly relieved. Princess Arwen would not be pleased if she saw him take the blondes life. Over the past 3 weeks the two have seemed rather friendly, each trading witty barbs at one another and even spending hours talking and just conversing. They enjoyed each other's company and they've built a very rare and quickly growing repor together in such a short amount of time. It was amazing, it even caught the eye of the elf lord himself.

"You are boring me, Naruto." Cohnal stated rather dryly, picking up what remained of Naruto's clone, his arrow, and re-laced it on his bow, "How long are you going to hide behind these tricks!"

"As long as it takes me to win," His statement echoed around the forest, his voice spawned from what felt like a thousand points across this vast forest that incompasses them. Cohnal preps his bow for long range combat, aiming it towards one of the many areas he could be hiding within the shadowed canopy.

Soon, the once calm silence that incompanced the entire battlefield was drowned out by a chorus of stomping battle ready sandals. Cohnal quickly took aim to one of the many areas that held the echoing stampede and prepared to fire the moment he caught a single glimpse of the yellow mop of hair that was his soon to be apprentice. His patient waiting was rewarded with the sight of what looked like an army of grinning blonde teens who, one by one, started to appear from the shadows the tree tops casted.

"Now, lets see how you handle these tricks." one of the many Naruto's snickered, stepping before the congregation of doppelgangers-his hands gripped on his hips as he strikes a triumphant pose, "I will give you the same chance you gave me. Do you submit?"

Cohnal just smirked as wide as Naruto's, pulled back on the string and aimed it towards the Naruto before him, "Heh, never. I haven't had this much fun in years. I will take this challenge head on!" And with that, the string was released, striking the one Naruto who was standing before the pack. It exploded into a puff of smoke, much to Cohnal's relief, signalling the start of this onslaught.

"First wave, charge!" A Naruto who squatted high above his subordinate yelled, his eyes servicing the battle at a higher angle. Once the ordered was howled from the trees, the first wave of Naruto look a likes rushed to their attacker with reckless abandonment. The converged in the middle, taking Cohnal by all angles, giving them the upper hand…..or at least that's what they all believed. Cohnal, his eyes now wide with anticipation, did quick work on the rushing fools. It was almost like a blinder as Cohnal pulled his daggers forward, and with a quick and well placed spin, he slashed through the group, nicking several vital and important portions of each clones body.

"That was a good warm up, Naruto." Cohnal jeered, pointing his dagger towards the one Naruto barking the orders, "but is that all you've got?"

"No," was all he said, his smile never leaving his face, "I was merely testing the waters."

"Test the waters, hmm?" he questioned, watching the army of the Naruto's seem to prepare themselves for something, something that was making Cohnal a bit nervous. He's never saw such an army accumulate in this short amount of time, and this magic of sorts is foreign to him. He knew that the elemental nation was a very interesting and mythical place. He's heard stories of grand feats created or destroyed by single men, but like many stories told over the years, he believed them to be nothing but that; stories.

But if this show of power that Naruto has displayed today was enough to shock him, he wouldn't be surprised that those feats were true.

"Forward charge! Take him down!" A roar of feet and battle cries echoed through the forests, each and every doppelganger charged from their position. As each Naruto appeared from the forest the crowd became shocked beyond all senses at what they are witnessing. It was something out of a fairy tail, an army of clones rushing towards a single elf, ready to steal a win thanks to sheer numbers. The crowds once held belief that Cohnal will smear the floor with the newcomer began to fade as they realized they might have judged the boy a bit harshly. Cohnal, with all of his strength and agility fought the horde like a man possesed. Arrows flew from his body like automatic fire as he tried to take down each individual clone that rush towards him. He was successful in some aspects, dropping a few of the mindless creatures, before the wave behind them began using the steel release to block his process strikes.

They soon beared down on his position as his quiver began to run low. He wrapped his bow around his body once again and whipped out his blades, slashing at the first three to be foolish enough to get into range. Every lucky cut, chop, pierce, and slash only bought him minimal amount of time until the clones overtook him with superior numbers and manpower.

Soon, Cohnal was captured; pinned under a collection of bodies, leaving him defenseless. "Pull him up," A voice echoed towards the dogpile. Once the order was heard, each Naruto scrambled to their feet, until four remained who pulled Cohnal to his knees. Once he was propped up, he saw one Naruto standing before him, a cheerful smirk on his face as he kneels at his level.

"So, how did I do, Sensei?" His cheeky questioned gained a genuine smirk from Cohnal before he even began to laugh at the situation.

"For a human, you did very well. I can see now that I greatly underestimated your abilities." The silver haired elf agnolished, "seeing as your clones have subdued me and stolen my weapons, I reluctantly forfeit. The match is yours."

The crowd, which were rather silence this entire match, sat on their branches, shell shocked at this new occurrence. Cohnal, the second only to Legolas in agility and accuracy, lost to a single human boy. It was inconceivable. What they saw today was technically a show of unimaginable power from a single human.

The crowd, once snapped from their shock, did something rather surprising; they cheered. "This battle was spectacular!" Some cheered, the forest filled with the sound of applause and praise, something that both Cohnal and Naruto were surprised to hear. Exchanging glances, both nodded at one another in a show of acceptance; and with a quick hand seal, the clones dispersed one by one. The last remaining Naruto stood before Cohnal with the elves weaponry in hand. With one free hand, Naruto extended the olive branch of peace with a single outstretched hand, which Cohnal gladly accepted.

"You know, you've won this round. But tomorrow, you'll be under my thumb." Cohnal said; his eyes telling Naruto all he needed to know. Tomorrow will be the death of Naruto. He will be worked over like nobodies business and he will deserve every bruise he gets.

Naruto couldn't help but let out an audible gulp of dread as he looks at his soon to be sensei who held the same look that Kakashi had mastered, a simple eye smile and yet, it seemed to hold such a dark and foreboding aura that even a hardened veteran of one of the most hellish wars would flinch at.

"W-Well, I thought that, you know, that this was just a friendly spar." Naruto stammered as a nervous bead of sweat dripped from his forehead as he gave his sensei a comically huge smile; hoping it would sway his judgment. "No hard feelings, right?"

"True, it would have been," The elf man said, his smile never leaving his face, "if it was just a simple friendly spar between a teacher and student. But you brought magic into it, meaning you dug your own grave." On that note; Cohnal took his weapons from Naruto's grasp, placed them back in the proper spot, and began his walk back to the tree fortress they have called home for 3 weeks now. "Enjoy this victory while you can, my young apprentice. I will see you at sunrise, and be prepared for hell."

All Naruto could do was let out a nerve filled chuckle as he saw his sensei disappear into the foliage. "_Nice job, Naruto. You just shot yourself in the foot with your new sensei. Brilliant as usual." _He sighed, watching as the remaining audience leave the make shift stadium. His self pity party was interrupted by a firm hand touching down on his shoulder. He looked to find the King of all elves standing beside him and his daughter to his side, each sporting an amused smirk.

"What a show, young one. You were holding out on us." Lord Elrond voiced, walking to the front of Naruto, "I would never have thought such magical potential rested within you. Your speed is unmatched and so is your durability."

"Haha, thanks." Naruto nervously said, uncomfortable with such large amounts of praise being showered on him by such a beloved figure. "But I don't think I was that great. Anyone from my culture can do that. Well, some of it…...it's complicated."

"Yes, most magic is. But, that doesn't lessen the victory you had here today." He sagely stated, his hands now tucked deep within his sleeves. "You may have thought what you did was mundane, even simple. But to us, such a young man who is unknown by the sorcerers of our land is something very…...interesting."

"Well, thank you, Lord Elrond. I'll keep that in mind." Naruto gracefully stated, bowing slightly to the man's kind words.

"You are most welcome." He said with a tinder smile, "Now, if you don't mind. I must be off. I have business to attend to. Good day, Naruto Uzumaki." and soon he turned on his heel and began his walk towards the tree castle, leaving Arwen with her blonde little friend. A smile still played on her lips as she looked at Naruto for a few, admittedly awkward seconds before one decided to speak.

"So," Arwen began, walking to Naruto side, "when were you going to inform me of your magical abilities?"

"It's not magic!" Naruto huffed playfully as both he and Arwen began the short trek towards their home. "It's called Ninjutsu. It's a technique that many people back in my home land can use."

She chuckled at the younglings playfulness. "_He is so easy to rile up,_" she thought, stifling a giggle from behind her hand. "I know Naruto," She said with a humorous smile, "unlike my father and my people, I've studied up on your culture a long time ago. Your people are very fascinating. But I must say, reading about your peoples abilities and seeing is first hand are two separate things."

"Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet." Naruto hummed, his hands thrown behind his head in a playful manner, grabbing the attention of the curious elf woman.

"Oh? And what, pray tell, have I not seen?" she inquired as her eyes stared curiously towards the moppy haired boy; a smile creeping onto her angelic face as she couldn't help but find the way the sun hit his face to be quite….alluring. But she couldn't just blame her feelings on modest lighting, there was something about Naruto that made him so likeable and so enticing towards the young elf princess. Maybe it was how he smiles, how he laughs, or maybe, just maybe, it was just because she felt special when she was near him. The past three weeks have been nothing but wonderful for both involved. Each one forgot their problems when they looked into each others eyes, even if it was just for a moment, it meant the world to them.

Naruto's pain of loss and humiliation was simmered for just a few mere moments, giving him a small glimmer of hope in his bleak future; and it was all thanks to a wonderful woman. And to Arwen, the war didn't seem to matter, her worries over her people and land seemed to melt away when she gazed into the man's eyes; each moment spent with him kept the worries of the future at bay.

It might sound selfish, and it was; but she was not flawless. She has her moments, and so does Naruto. They found something that kept the nagging voice in the back of their collective minds away from them; allowing the two to feel….at peace with themselves.

"You haven't seen my trump card, my grand daddy finisher. The show stopper to end all show stoppers!" He cheered, looking to his new friend with a warm smile. His words of excitement drew a picture of curiosity across Arwen's face as her mind began to wonder what this "grand daddy finisher" could be.

"Very well," She cooed; halting where she stood with her hand clasped on her hips, "show me."

"Show you?" Naruto questioned,

"Yes," She answered, "You seem very eager to show me your best. Why not show me now?"

"V-Very well, if you insist." Naruto's confidence wavered ever so slightly before, once again, his sly smile wiggled back, "but don't say I didn't warn you. This is going to blow you away."

**5 minutes later:**

"You know, staring at you for the past 4 minutes isn't really what I consider "blow me away" material," The Princess quipped, resting her head against her balled up fist. She sat patiently in the meadow her and Naruto arrived at for his "grand daddy finisher", waiting for him to finally show her what he's truly made of. But, sadly, she has had to wait for 4 minutes as the blonde meditates in the middle of the grassy area. "_But don't get me wrong. I don't hate the view." _She purred as she stared at the blonde beauty, his sun kissed hair shining in the setting sun, his faces almost like it was sculpted by marble with his whiskers adding a bit of wonder and intrigue to him.

"Patients is a virtue, Princess." Naruto sagely advises, a smile creeping up as he continues his meditation. "Now please, give me one more moment…" as he spoke, the area around his closed eyes grew a orange hue; he opened his eyes to reveal the bright yellow tinge with a frog like irises. "Ah, there it is. I'm surprised it took me so long ; last time it took about a minute."

"What took you about a minute?" She wondered, seeing the new color of his eyes.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Naruto said, standing before creating two different clones to help him with this attack. He raised his hand above his head as he and his two clones began to shape and mold this creation. He provides the chakra, one clone is responsible for the shape transformation, and the other provides the natural transformation. Soon the attack was complete, a rotating ball of chakra and natural wind. "Fūton: Rasenshuriken", Naruto announced, his clones dispersing, leaving him to hold the spinning beast. The attack screeched like a thousand needles scratching against a chalkboard as Naruto took aim towards a collection of trees.

He released the fuma Rasenshuriken and in seconds it has sliced cleanly through the trees, taking the whole bundle of 10 trees down with it. Once the attack went through, it expanded and rested in that position as it slowly dissolved the tops of the trees like acid, each passing moment the trees grow shorter and shorter until only the branches were left. The attack faded and Naruto stood back up, slightly winded from this build up of chakra.

"A-Are you okay, Naruto?" Arwen asked, her words seemed genuine but her eyes were still focused on the massive amount of property damage a single attack from Naruto could accomplish. "_I-It's amazing" _She couldn't believe it. Something like this could take out armies, demolish even the toughest elvish walls and it was created in only a few minutes! She wasn't sure weather to be terrified or thrilled that he's on their side.

"Something's not right," Naruto sighed, itching his whiskers as he feels something odd stirring in his stomach. "I feel….strange."

"How so?" She wondered, still pretty focused on the carnage Naruto's "big daddy finisher" created.

"It wouldn't have taken me this long to gather enough energy, and it wouldn't have drained me so much, at least not in sage mode." This feeling inside of him, this gut churring abnormality is really messing with him. Was it something his so called friends did to him during his time knocked out? Did they block of his chakra or some of it at least, is it the Kyuubi? What could this be. His powers are still there but it takes far too much time and way too much effort to even use them properly.

"Sage mode? What's that?" SHe wondered, turning her attention back onto Naruto, his eyes still that piercing bright green.

"Oh yeah. I forgot you probably didn't come across it in your studies. I'll try to explain it the best way I can." Naruto answered, gripping his chin in thought as he closed his eyes. "Let's see….Sage Mode is kinda like an empowered state people can enter when they learn to draw natural energy inside them and blending it with their chakra. By doing so - they create new senjutsu chakra that allows them to enter Sage Mode. Sage Mode enhances the combat efficiency of the user by allowing them to tap into the natural force of the world that can open up new techniques to the user and allows them to power up existing ones with the new senjutsu chakra. In this form…..I can do great things, feats that I didn't think I could ever accomplish on my own. And I couldn't have done it without my sensei."

"Wow, that's….that's quite the explanation." Said Arwen, absorbing the knowledge that has been listed out to her. "It must be overwhelming. That much power coursing through you, how do you keep it in check?"

"It's pretty new to me too." Naruto announced, taking a seat next to the princess, his exhausted frame leaning a bit close to Arwen's; something she had no problem in, shockingly enough. "I think I used it, what, about 5 times before now and each time I do….I feel almost overwhelmed. It's wonderful but also scary. It's a slippery slope, I guess. Power is very…..alluring." His eyes soon turn from the demolished trees to his companions body, his eyes quickly dancing around her body before quickly turning away, a small blush forming around his cheeks; fearing he was spotted by Arwen. "_Keep your eyes to yourself! I don't need to go through heartbreak again. And besides, if Lord Elrond finds out….I don't want to find out what he would do to me." _

"_You are so afraid of heartbreak that you can never, truly move on. There's nothing wrong with what I was doing. I-It's natural, right? And it shows I'm moving on, growing as a person…..right?" _As Naruto continued to debate his rapidly beating heart, he was blind to his Princesses reaction. Once she noticed Naruto's lingering eyes dart from her, she didn't want to feel left out. So, she shot the blonde pretty boy a passing glance as well, but it seemed like her plan didn't go so well. What should have been a quick peek evolved into a full blown stare, her eyes could not have been pulled from Naruto if she tried.

"Yes, it is. But, the alluring quality makes it even more of a challenge…...Do you get my meaning?" Arwen hummed, her eyes still locked on Naruto.

Their eyes soon meet, each one leans in closer to one another out of instinct, "I think I do." Their lips collide in the middle, unleashing a passion that was unfamiliar to either parties, and both were welcoming of it. Naruto placed a delicate hand to her cheek as his Sage mode deactivates, his concentration was broken by something a little more prominent.

Arwen looped her hands around Naruto's neck, deepening the kiss that was once so innocent, but was now fueled by something a bit more, something Naruto didn't think Arwen had in her. "_Holy shit!" _Naruto yelled in his mind, feeling Arwen's tongue not only trace against his lip, signifying that she wanted so much more out of this kiss. But, unwilling to wait, her tongue barged through his lips and began to deepen it to very dangerous levels.

Naruto wasn't really well versed in kissing but even he knew that this was a bit far for their first kiss. It wasn't as if he hated it, quite the opposite, actually. But even a dimwit like him to the dating scene knew that you shouldn't move too fast, especially with a lady you just met. Even if she is the most beautiful woman he has ever meet in his entire life.

He reached behind him to unbind her fingers from his neck, but stopped once he felt something run through his very being. His vision began to blur as Arwen quickly release her grip from Naruto once she felt him become unresponsive. She pulled back, a deep blush visible on her prestien face as she quickly get's to her feet. "I-I'm…...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to….I-It was a….I'm sorry." Naruto had no time to react before Arwen rushed from her spot, leaving him in his state.

"A-Arwen….wait…." But his words fell on deaf ears; he watched her blurred body disappear into the trees. He tried to stand but his legs were unresponsive, his arms felt like jello, and his balance was next to nothing. His heart began to race, pounding like war drums in his ears, even the sound of the nature surrounding him was drowned out by his hammering heart. At this point, all he could do was lean against the tree that rested behind his back and allow his body to slowly slip away, "_w-what's happening…..I feel numb….." _

**Unknown: **

"_W-Where am I?" _Naruto thought, his eyes opening to the scene before him. He sat in an upright position, allowing him to look over his surroundings. The floor was flooded in fog, at least knee deep if he had to guess. The fog was the only distinguishing feature in this entire area, everything else was a pitch black chasm of emptiness; there was nothing here and it bothered Naruto to his very core. "_What place could this be? The Kyuubi's den? No, it can't be. There's….no walls, no light. Everything is black. Is this…..a dream?" _Naruto contemplates, shakingly getting to his feet just in time for whatever kept him propped up to vanish, leaving him standing with no support. "_There's only one way to find out." _Naruto began his long and arduous journey through this black abyss that seemed to go on endlessly. Hours seemed to pass with each wobbly step Naruto took until something shot from the smoke. It was small, almost too small to recognize, but the shimmering glow from the object made it distinct enough for Naruto to quickly snatch it from the air. He opened his palm to find something that confused him more than anything else in this damned dream.

It was a ring, a simple, ordinary, golden ring. Naruto stared at it, perplexed as to why something so insignificant was in his dream, "_What is written on it?" _The glow on the ring soon died down, giving way to to the decoration on the ring. It was the same form of writing that was etched on the boats he rode on 3 weeks ago. "_I-I don't understand. What is this?" _Naruto soon felt a presence, something that sent a shiver down his spine.

The figure was distant, almost a shimmer in the distance as it slowly grew in size. It was a being, a creature of enormous dark power. The very sight of it caused men shutter in their very boots; he wore black as coal armor, shined to an unholy shimmer, with mixed armor plating, leaving it jagged and foreboding. Nothing about this creature was tame, he was daunting, a figure truly made to be feared, and he was now stomping his way towards Naruto's position; his massive mace gripped in his armored hands.

Naruto's eyes soon grow heavy, they were barely able to hold up, forcing him to blink. One momentary blink gave way to this armored man's quick advancement, his once distant form was now a yard from his position; his dark aura seemed to grow even more potent the closer he becomes. His eyes gave in once more, no matter how hard Naruto strained to keep them up; giving the dark stranger now only feet to advance on Naruto. "_What is wrong with me?" _So many questions ran through Naruto's mind, and so little time to find them out. Soon, the armored man was above the kneeling teen, his mace now rising slowly above his head as the fear of helplessness and lack of power returned to Naruto, just like 3 weeks ago.

As the mace came careening down so did Naruto's eye lids, closing his eyes to the horrific event that was about to unfold. He raised his arm in defence, hoping ,foolishly, that it would help his chances of survival. Seconds passed as Naruto waited for the sweet embrace of death once again, but nothing happened, not a single inclination of pain or hurt shot through Naruto's system.

He slowly, tentatively opened his eyes to find that he wasn't surrounded by the darkness anymore and right now, he wished he was. His eyes were meet with a mirror images of his previous surroundings out in the Elvish fields, but each tree that surrounded him was set ablaze, the heat from which was unbearable. Bodies littered the land, each one an elf that he has at least meet during his short time here in this land. His heart began to race once more, the roaring flames all but muffled as his heart pounded in his ear drums.

He jumped to his feet and began to run towards the only place he hoped was spared, all the while his mind kept repeating the same phrase over and over again, "_Please, Arwen, be okay!" _

Weaving through the trees like a madman, he soon arrives at his destination, a flaming tree fortress and the screams of the burning elves inside it. "Arwen!" He yelled, stopping at the base of this massive tree, hoping to hear something over the burning wood or the screams, but sadly it was nothing. He looked to the entrance; something that was also encased in fire, and steeled himself. "Hold on, Arwen." Naruto whispered, rushing towards the burning entrance with determination, crashing through the weakened oak door with all the strength he could muster.

"Arwen, Lord Elrond, Cohnal…...Anyone!" Naruto yelled, his eyes scanning his surroundings as he charged the stairs, peering into each room to try and find anyone he could save or protect from this hellish inferno. But, sadly, he heard nothing but the wails of the burning people he was too late to save. Shortly after his adrenaline induced dash to action, Naruto made it to the dining area which was just a massive, beautifully decorated room with four massively long tables stationed perfectly in line, or it was the last time Naruto saw it. Now the tables have been tossed on their sides or flipped completely, throwing the decorations and utensils all over the floor. The only thing that decorated these tables were the crimson color of blood splattered across the wood.

"**Join me, boy!" **A demonic, foreboding voice called to him, bring his eye to the throne that sits before him. The room changed once again in a blink of his eye, he was no longer in the dining hall of the Lothlorien fortress, he was now transferred to a room unfamiliar to him in every way. The walls were made of cobblestone and a few torches lit this room, allow Naruto to focus on the voice which beckons him towards him. Before him was him, the same man who seems to haunt this dream everytime he turns his head. This armored beast not only rests in a iron throne, but his foot is placed on Arwen's unmoving skull, grinding his metallic sole into her temple.

"Let her go!" Naruto yelled, his rage bubbling to the surface.

"**Join me," **Was all the man said, His foot digging deeper in the princess skull.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Naruto screamed, rushing the throne like a man on a mission, reaching out his hand towards the unconscious elf princess, hoping to reach her in time.

"**Then you will lose everything all…..over….again," **The boot came down hard, blood covered the man's boots as he demolished the princesses face and skull. Leaving Naruto in shock and rage.

**The Forest: **

"Naruto, Naruto! Wake up," Cohnal yelled, finding the blonde child laying restlessly on the ground, tossing and turning violently as his incoherent grunts echoed around them. He quickly rushed to Naruto side, grasping him by his collar and shaking him slightly, trying to see if he could wake him from what seemed like a fever dream.

Cohnal soon got his wish, and Naruto's eyes flung wide open. But, instead of a thank you, he was given a hellish steel infused punch straight to his chest for his troubles, sending him flying backwards. "Nooo!" Naruto screamed, jumping to his feet in a blind fury, only to find himself back in the burning forest, minus the flames. His confusion was only matched with his utter rage. That dream felt so vivid, almost as if it were real. He felt the splatter of Arwen's blood on his face, he felt the cold emptiness of the darkened abyss, and he felt the paralyzing fear that was…..who was he?

His concentration was interrupted by the pained grunt of Cohnal, rising from his downed position as he held his chest in pain.

"Cohnal, are you alright? What happened to you?" Naruto asked, rushing to his sensei's side only to get smacked hard across the face.

"You're what happened to me, you bastard!" Cohnal barked, hissing at the pain his chest felt. "Ouch, what were you doing out here? The Princess was worried, she has yet to leave her room, I haven't seen her so upset."

"Oh….I'm sorry, I just…." What could he tell him? "_Oh, I just passed out and had a dream where everyone here burned in a hellish fire and your princess will be crushed under a madman's boot. How does that sound to anyone?" _Naruto needed an excuse, a proper one that wouldn't cause panic or suspension. "I-I passed out because of chakra exhaustion."

"Chakra exhaustion?" Cohnal questioned, a skeptical eyebrow rose at this claim.

"Yeah, it's….it's something that happens to chakra users like myself when we overuse our natural source of chakra." Naruto began to explain, trying to remember the lessons he slept through during his time in the Academy, "I-I guess since I made a ton of clones, used my Kekkei Genkai a lot, and I just used Sage mode and my Rasenshuriken, I must have passed out from overuse."

"...I don't think I understand," Cohnal scratches the back of his head in confusion as he tried to focus and understand Naruto's predicament but, unfortunately, it went over his head, "but, as long as you are fine now, that's all that matters. Now, we should head back, you've been out for 3 hours now." Heading the man's wisdom, he and Naruto walked back to the base. Once there, Cohnal quickly went to his room, ready for the night, but Naruto lingered in the hallways, waiting until he saw Cohnal disappear around the corner before he headed towards his true destination.

A knock was heard through the hall as Naruto stood before a single door, waiting for a answer. "Arwen, it's me." Naruto proclaimed, knocking once more on the hardwood door as he listens for any sign of life in the room. "I think….I think we should talk about what happened."

"...The door's open, Naruto." A voice whispered from behind the door. Naruto turned the handle and let himself in, walking through the threshold to find Arwen in her nightgown, staring out her window with a forlorn gaze to the moon hanging high in the sky.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" Naruto said, standing beside her as both looked out upon the beautiful night sky, the full moon illuminating them and the room.

"Yes, quite." Arwen retorted, keeping her sight aimed solely at the moon.

"So, how was your day, prince-" Naruto began but was cut off by the princess with a simple chuckle.

"What are you doing?" She hummed.

"I think, in some cultures, it's called breaking the ice." Naruto smiled back, getting a laugh from the princess, "Or maybe it's called small talk."

"Well, in my culture, we would call it stalling." She giggled, a tear collecting in the corner of her eye as her sides began to hurt. She hasn't had such a good laugh in a long, long time. And considering the circumstances, it was a very welcomed change to the mood.

"Then, if you wish for me to get to the point, I will," Naruto said, turning himself to Arwen who did the same, their eyes now locked for this very moment in time, "what am I to you?"

"Oh? So you think that our kiss meant something? That _you _meant something, hmmm?" She teased, a cheeky smirk and a playful tone mixed together.

"Well, I believe a kiss that…..forceful and passionate was to mean something," Naruto humored her banter, leaning his back against the window frame, "but who knows, I've always been a blind romantic. I believe our lips, when interlocked, are so much more telling than when our lips are apart."

She laughed once more, walking to her bed to give her and her guest some room to breath. "And where did you get that non-sense? A cheezy romance novel?"

"Yes actually," Naruto said, walking to her side once more, unwill to give her the distance in this moment in time, a moment that needed to be had, "I read it out of one of my late sensei's books. A bit…..ummm, graphic for my tastes but it still had some good moments."

"I hope you will let me borrow it sometime, it sounds like a good read," She takes a seat on the side of her bed, her legs crossed and her eyes turned from naruto's, his blazing blues were too much for her at this moment in time.

"Arwen," Naruto sternly said, gripping her hand to grab her attention, his thumb gently glides over the back with a tender affection that is foreign to him and yet, it felt so right, "I love playing games as much as the next guy but this has gone on long enough, I wish to know if their was anything behind that kiss or…..or was it a simple lapse in judgement. I must know!" His grip tightened on her delicate hand, not enough to break or harm it but enough to show his feelings. This meant something to him and she couldn't blame him for it. She was his first true connection after his ordeal, and weather it was a friendly love between the two or something more, Naruto wasn't willing to let it go.

Her face became more serious as she looked over her shoulder to Naruto, "I don't know. That is the problem, Naruto. I don't know."

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

Her single eye staring at him from over her shoulder showed a sign of fear and nervousness, she was hiding something from him, he could feel it, "if I tell you, then I will be revealing a secret that…..that I have kept buried deep down inside ever since I arrived here with you. I don't think I'm ready for that, Naruto, I really don't. But, I don't wish to leave you like this, confused and curious, so, I will try and explain it the best way I can."

She turned to fully face Naruto, gripping his other hand in hers, connecting them both, "...I loved a man once, a man who…..who I believed would love me for all eternity. But, something happened, something unspeakable happened, and now I came here to forget that disgusting matter once and for all. And now, I look at you, your whiskered face and wonderful eyes, and feel the same love I held for that man…...at least, I believe I do."

"I don't understand," Naruto said, on the edge of his seat, "H-How could you "think" you love someone?"

"I don't know," She repeats, a sad look washing over her once loving features, " I feel a tug on my heart every time I meet your gaze. Even now, with our hands intertwined, I feel something indescribable within my very soul. But then again, I could be fooling myself. Pretending a spark is there so I could hopefully forget my pain of my lost love. I don't want you to feel like a replacement, you are too good for that."

"You are not the only one to feel something between us," Naruto began, pulling his hand from her grip and placing it tenderly against her cheek, " but I don't want you to push me away because of you fear of "what if""

"But….but I don't want you-" She began to say only to be stopped by Naruto's finger placed gently on her lips.

"I am not a child anymore. I know what I am getting myself into." He soon removes his finger to replace it with his lips, laying a tender kiss on her, "and I'm not afraid."

"A-Are you sure," He leaned back, a small, a serene smile appearing on his face.

"Yes, but let's take it slow, I wouldn't want another…..explosion of passion to happen like it did today," he remarked, seeing the calm princess blush heavily at his comment, "not that I didn't enjoy it. Let's take it slow. We'll have picnics, eat together, hold hands, hug. All the things most _normal _people do in a relationship. And then, when you find out you are madly in love with me, we can kiss once again. Now, how does that sound, princess?"

She laughed, leaning against his chest as she sat in between his legs, "wonderful, simply wonderful." They rested like that for what felt like hours, Arwen listening to Naruto's hypnotic heartbeat and Naruto losing himself in the alluring aruma of her hair. Naruto reluctantly departed from his lady's side and headed towards his room. He would have loved to stay and sleep in the same bed as his love but he wasn't to keen on waking up with Lord Elrond hovering over head, his face red with rage as he brandishes a loaded bow and arrow aimed right at his nether regions.

He quickly arrives at his room, opening the door to find his trusty friend Nemian, lounging about on his freshly made bed, leaving his black fur all over his white sheets. "What a surprise," He sighed, walking nest to his purring cat before jabbing it in the stomach, "Oi! Wake up, lazy bones. You come in here, mess up my bed, and don't even have the dignity to give me enough room to sleep? No wonder dogs are called _Man's _best friend and not cats."

The mighty king of the jungle only opened a single, golden eye to his master, mustered up a low growl, and shimmied over so his so called master could get under the covers. "Now that's more like it," Naruto yawned, flipping the covers over as he drops his pants and throws his shirt off. He quickly slips into his bed, and started to drift asleep.

As Naruto lad to rest he was unaware that his fever dream of blood and fire was only just beginning.

**Thank you all for reading and please PM me if you have any questions and leave a review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

**Naruto's Training pt. 2: A Proactive 3 Years**

**I own Nothing**

Naruto's night was not something anyone would consider ideal. Each moment his eyes closed and his mind drifted into a calming sleep, he was awakened by the haunting images of the few friendly faces he had left in his life being systematically ripped apart right in front of him. He saw his precious feline friend gutted and skinned to be used as the dark lord's rug, he watched Cohnal being swarmed by an army of creatures he could only imagine being pulled from his darkest nightmares. And the worst one of all would have to be the image of Arwen being ripped to shreds by different forms of howling creatures that fill Naruto's soul with the deepest amount of fear a man could feel.

He counted about 12 times he woke up screaming from those terrors, and each time a single image boarded into his subconscious like a tattoo; a single burning eye hovering over a massive tower. The words "join me" echoed through his dream like a hypnotic lullaby. This now was the 13th attempt to try and get some actual, uninterrupted sleep, hoping his optimistic look on his chances might help him this time around. Shockingly enough, it did, he laid his blonde little head down and started to drift off into slumber and not a single nightmare to be found.

Oh, if only the world was nice enough to toss Naruto a bone now and then. As Naruto smile creeped onto his slumbering face he was woken by something worse than any nightmare at the time. Ice water dumped right on top of Naruto, causing him and his trusty lion to spring from the bed as if it were on fire. Nemian landed on the floor with no problem, all four paws delicately landing on the hardwood floor as if they floated softly to it. But, the soaking blonde wasn't so lucky. His feet tangled themselves in the bedding and tripped, landing face first on the hardwood stained floor; an audible thump was heard throughout the tree fort.

Naruto turned his head slowly towards the culprit of this crime, his snicker all too evident in the dead of the night. "Freshly collected spring water. Always it's coldest in the mornings, don't you agree?" the man laughed, a single candle gripped in his hand as he walked to his apprentices side, "Now, I hope you slept well, my young apprentice. Today is the start of your deconstruction." Oh how this must have felt wondrous to the bitter Cohnal, he was going to work his apprentice into the ground and build him back up. He wishes to find his strengths, his true physical strength with no magic or witchcraft to impede him.

Naruto sneered at his master and quickly scrambled to his feet, "you know, I didn't think elves held grudges." His bitter joke was soon followed by another, "and why on earth didn't Namian sense you, his nose is better than any tracker."

"Oh, Namian saw me enter, he did nothing to stop me." The silver haired elf snickered, looking towards the lazy feliane as it jumps back on the damp bed, resting his head back on it's usual spot. "And not all Elves are cut from the same cloth, Naruto. I was taught by my father one good hit deserves another. You beat me dishonorably, you deserved to pay for that. Now you have, my rage has been quenched."

"Apparently your father has never heard of turning the other cheek," Naruto said with a cheeky smirk before turning to his precious pet, "and you, I think we need to have a talk about what defines a threat, old friend!"

The beast just purrs as he drifts back to his usual slumber, a peaceful visage passing over him. It was a testament to how much Namian cares in one moment then seems to detach himself from everything in one fell swoop, I suppose you could put it on him being a vicious, man eating lion who truly couldn't or shouldn't be tamed.

"While I love this, we are burning daylight." Cohnal's took on a more authoritative tone, pulling his sopping wet student to his feet with his open hand. "Your training await."

"Burning daylight? The sun hasn't even set!" Naruto said, pointing to the horizon that his window perfectly frames, showing the dark empty sky as the twilight stars hung in the sky. "Don't you think it's a bit early to be training?"

"You humans are truly simple minded." Cohnal said, sighing at his student's words as a mother would her ignorant child. He pulls his student into the hall, the only light being the one gripped in Cohnal's grip as they walk towards the base of this tree. Their steps echoed through the hollow log as they began to reach the bottom. "Every moment you waste sleeping is one you could have been used for training and I won't allow you to waste mine or your time dreaming of the princess."

"Arwen? H-How did you-" Naruto wondered only to be stopped by his master's rude cut in.

"You talked in your sleep." Cohnal said as he stopped at the foot of the stairs. He looked to his student with a bemused stare as he released the boy's collar, "you were calling for her while you thrashed around like a man possessed. I assume this wasn't the first time this has happened. Would you like to talk about it?"

"I-I…" Naruto couldn't think of a quick enough comeback to his question. Should he tell him of his dreams? No, not dreams. Dreams held some wonder and hope. This was a nightmare, pure and simple. Should he tell Cohnal though? Did he want to thrust this upon someone he has only known for a few days? It would be irresponsible and unfair to do such a thing. "It's nothing, another side effect of chakra exhaustion I suppose. I've had it so rarely anything could happen."

His answer seemed to stop the elves curiosity as he simply nodded and turned towards the exit which Naruto quickly followed. Soon the two were standing out in the open, the crisp night air brisk and chilling to their skin. It didn't help that Naruto was soaked to the bone from this mornings spring water, but Cohnal didn't seem to care. "Now, we must get started. For now you will be using the practice daggers and arrows used by the younglings. They are in the training area out back. That will be our place to train for now."

Once that was said, the two walked back towards the area in question. They crossed a hand crafted, elegant bridge over a pristine clear lake, probably the same lake that Cohnal got this morning's water from. As the crossed the bridge and ducked through a few low hanging branches, they arrived at an open field - the one that Naruto found Cohnal and the others practicing in. It seemed almost like two separate places when this area is bathed in nothing but darkness.

As the two arrived, Naruto noticed two extra figures standing in the field, waiting for the two to arrive. "Brother, sister. I'm glad you could make it. Your help is always appreciated."

"This best be important, brother. You know I've never been a morning person." His sister sighed, her eyes stared harshly towards her silver haired sibling.

"She speaks for both of us, Cohnal. I won't be too pleased if this is another one of your pranks." the taller of the siblings said, as they removed their hoods, revealing the strangest thing about the siblings - they all looked identical. All three had the same silver locks, green piercing eyes, the only thing that seemed to differ were their heights. They were triplets.

"I would never do such a thing." Cohnal chuckled, but his siblings didn't seemed too amused. "I called you out here to ask for your help. I need more than just me to train this human into shape. The more hands working, the quicker it might go."

"Wait, shouldn't I be taught the basics first?" Naruto asked nervously, seeing the mischievous glint in the eyes of his teacher as he looked turns to his apprentice. "You know, knife and bow safety, proper fighting stance, target practice. Something that resembles a training regiment!"

"Oh, don't worry. You will learn the basics, just in a more….unorthodox way." Cohnal said, "seeing as you are human, we don't have the time to waste doing this slowly. It would take years of practice and timing before you even came close to a younglings ability if we did this the traditional way. So I've had to rework the training regimen of a usual elf youngling to fit in the life span of a human man. You will have to learn while we go, I'm afraid."

"You make it sound like I'm weak," Naruto rebutted, a little miffed at that implication. "Need I remind you who kicked whose ass yesterday?"

"You won with your magic that you call "chakra", that was not honorable. If you were to fight me hand to hand, you surely would have lost a hundred times over." Cohnal said bitterly, he may be a respectable elf but he will not stand for being reminded of his loses, especially ones that were cheated from him. "Your fighting style leaves much to be decided. You rely too much on your "chakra", and from what I've seen, it's not unlimited. So, if you run out, you've lost. A youngling wouldn't have that problem. They use speed, agility, and their surroundings. That is what I will teach you. The ways of the elf and all of their skills and weaponry. You will thank me when it's all over."

"Very well," Naruto sighed. He wasn't known for holding his tongue when someone insults him but it was coming from a good place. It was true, his taijutsu mostly consisted of using clones to overwhelm his opponents and using as many rasengans as possible to level what remand. It was a hard pill to swallow but there was no need to fight someone who is only trying to guide you. "Show me what you've got, Cohnal! I see your point, and I'll try my hardest to grow under your teachings!"

"Humph, he reminds me a lot of you, Cohnal." His sister spoke up, watching the determined human proclaim his statement with confidence. "Headstrong, temperamental, a never say die attitude. I can't wait to see what he's made off."

"You had to pick someone just like yourself, didn't you?" The brother chimed in, smiling at the memories of days long past of his younger brother and how similar the two seemed to be. "Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped."

"Let's begin,"

**2 ½ years later: **

"Again, and this time don't hold back on me." A voice declared, his forehead glistened with sweat as he was flanked by three armed forces. Two brandished their custom made bows, arrows poised at the ready to be released at a moment's notice. While another came from the center, his daggers bare and ready to strike. His declaration was soon meet with their attack. Arrows flew, each ready to impale the boy deep in his meat. The arrows didn't stand a chance. A quick flick of his wrist and the arrows snapped in two, falling to the ground without a second thought from the defender.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Naruto!" The charging attacker barked, clashing with the boy he called Naruto, blades connecting in a flurry of sparks and strength. "No magic."

"Your Siblings didn't give me much of a choice. 8 arrows are kind of hard to dodge, even with your training, Cohnal!" The two traded blows, slashes and clashes echoed through the training ground while the two supporters take aim once more, loading four more at the ready. "Another barrage? Seriously?"

"Stubborn child as usual," one decreed, releasing her bow string to send the flurry towards the two fighters. Noticing the arrows, Cohnal quickly maneuvered himself to the side, allowing them full passage towards their student.

"And yet he isn't wrong," the brother sighed, releasing his own taint string - each arrow trying to find it's mark within the fleshly little human. "Besides, if magic is a tool, why shouldn't you use it?"

"Are you two trying to undermine almost 3 years of hard work? Naruto! No magic, I forbid it. I wish to see how much you've grown. Just trust in your training and you shall do fine." Cohnal ordered, keeping his eyes trained on his student's next move. As the onlookers watched with a calculative stare, Naruto prepared his daggers for what was to come. With a quick flick of his wrists, he slashed through the arrows in the span of three seconds - using only his agility and speed that has built up over these years. several wooden pieces feel to the ground while a single intact arrow grasped between his teeth, a cocky smile still visible through it.

But his cocky smirk wasn't long lived as he was side swiped by Cohnal, slicing through the clasp that held his cloak closed. He quickly spat the arrow towards Cohnal, which smacked him lightly in the face; it wasn't much, but it was enough to distract him for a moment. Naruto went for an backhanded slash towards Cohnal, cutting straight through the arrow and narrowly missing Cohnal's chin. This went on for hours, each blow was explosive in its impact and each arrow was sent with the intent to kill. After everything was done and the dust settled across the battlefield, each party was carrying their own battle scar for the day. Naruto and Cohnal held the record, though.

Naruto's usual clothing was tattered and beaten, some pieces of cloth were holding on for dear life - clinging to the tiny fabrics they had left. Some of those slashes Cohnal rained down on him were rather harmless unless you were made of fabric, but some were lucky enough to meet skin - slicing shallow wounds into Naruto's midriff, bicep, chest, cheeks, etc. But Cohnal's gear and figure was not faring any better.

His fancy silks and priceless garbs were anything but preserved. He should have known this battle would have been more….costly for him than the other spars he's participated in. Naruto has grown greatly over the years, both in stature and over all abilities. At first he took a massive beating, each training session ended the same way. Him flat on his ass being dragged back to his room, and being sutured up by Arwen who wasn't too happy seeing her boyfriend so battered and scared. But soon enough, he decided it might be better to train both smarter and harder. So, after discussing a few things with Cohnal, he talked him into allowing him to use his clone jutsu, helping him to learn what they do and grow from his many mistakes. Soon, he was learning things that would have taken some elves years in a few months.

Now, that doesn't mean he was perfect - as you can tell by his scars - He was still not up to code with more seasoned fighters such as the Elf Lord himself or his precious daughter, but he had enough in him take on elves with a third of their experience. He has learned much about the way of their people as well and their technique. He's quite fond of their choice of weaponry too. His target practice with kunais and shurikens prepared him somewhat for his bow training, and the daggers were something he actually grew very accustomed too. They soon became an extension of his arms, he barely went into a fight without drawing them.

His strength, speed, intelligence -for the most part anyway- has grown over the years, he and his teachers couldn't be prouder.

"That's enough for today. One more cut and I will be running home as bare as when I was born." Cohnal joked, sheathing his blades as his siblings do the same with their bows and arrows. "You have come a long way, apprentice. I actually broke a sweat."

"Says the man who is covered in cuts and welts." Naruto said curtly, pulling one of his long brown sleeves off, seeing as it only hung by a few short threads. "You talk a big game but I think you might have broken a lot more than a sweat."

"I'm merely holding back, my apprentice. Don't let this go to your head," Cohnal lied, he wasn't willing to allow his apprentice to believe he gained the upper hand on him. That would be _too _embarrassing, especially seeing as his apprentice also had to deal with the firing squad that was his siblings. "If I unleashed my true potential you wouldn't be standing here. You would be flat on your face in a pool of your own blood."

"Could you just lose gracefully for once?" He sighed, holstering his own crafted blades before walking towards his teacher, a small smile growing the closer he gets. "I mean, eventually I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to come up with an excuse. Then what will you say, huh, tough guy?"

"The sun shines bright on everyone once in a while. Everyone get's lucky. You will have your day in the sun." Cohnal smiled, meeting his apprentice in the middle, his hand presented to the boy in a sign of silent gesture, one that wasn't lost on the siblings or Naruto. "But today isn't it."

"Says you, old man." He chuckled, grabbing Cohnal's hand in his, silent respect oozing from the two. The two have come together over the years, both found kindred spirits in the other; a bond soon formed. "I just think you're a sore loser."

"Well, I'm definitely sore. Let us return home. Arwen must be worried we haven't returned at our usual time." He sighed, putting pressure on one of his many open wounds to stop the pain. He must say, his young apprentice isn't too far losing the title of the apprentice, they might even start calling him the half breed. He fights like a human mixed with elf agility and speed. A few more years and the same work ethic he might even surpass Cohnal….not that he would say that out loud. They soon arrived to the place they've been calling their home for quite some time now. The place hasn't changed but the people surely have. Well, actually, the people didn't seem to change. I guess you could tribute that to their extensive lifespans. But it felt different, something seemed to have shifted in the dynamic of this place.

Maybe it was because Naruto felt...accepted. Might be. When he first arrived he felt like an outsider looking in, an unknown, a stranger. But time seemed to quell that feeling, many of Lothlorien's people seemed to be welcoming to him. Hell, he's made quite the impression on many, either from watching the boy fight off Cohnal or for their own personal reasoning.

The group arrived without delay, barging through the main gate while trading their own witty barbs at one another as the usually did after a day of hard work. The group split, going their separate ways as they couldn't wait to wipe the blood and sweat from their collective bodies and feel fresh once more. Naruto said his farewell to his teachers as they headed up the stairs, leaving him to his own devices, which was a good thing because Naruto needed it for what was about to come to be.

**Elrond's Throne Room:**

Lord Elrond was a busy man, everyone knew this. He was the lord and ruler of an entire race, he couldn't be anything but busy. But even the most patient man grows weary once in a blue moon, and this was his day. Today marked the arrival of the Elders, a grouped he consulted with and asked for their wisdom for things that involved their people. A different, more wise viewpoint may help his decisions on the matter at hand, and this decision that he has for the Elders was one he has racked his brain over for months, years even. So, now, after the reports were read and the verdicts were tallied, he was still at the same place he started.

He seemed to be spinning his wheels here, even the Elders didn't give him the answer he needed, just some proclamation on following his own instinct. Some said yah other nay, no one was unanimous, it was confusing. This meeting of the minds usual goes over quite well, giving Elrond his desired answer, but this, this was more stressful than any personal thought could ever muster.

Even the Elders couldn't save him from his decision!

The Elders soon took their leave, each passing the Throne to bow or curtsy to their lord while he waved them off, his chin clasped in his palm as he thought on today's events. As he thought and the Elders depart, Naruto emerged, biting his lip at the nervous tension that swelled within him.

"_The lord seems annoyed, maybe this wasn't the right time" _Naruto thought, ready to step back through those open doors and go meet up with his beloved for some supper. "_No, I must be brave. For Arwen!" _His feet locked firm in place, unwilling to let his body run like a coward. The man was tough, amazingly so, but he shouldn't fear the lord's wrath at this moment. He needed the blind courage that filled him in his youth.

"Lord Elrond," Naruto said as he caught the pondering king's attention.

"Ah, Naruto. I didn't see you arrive." Elrond said, welcoming this distraction. A much needed one at that. Naruto has always been a good source of humor or surprisingly wisdom - albeit oddly dumbed down wisdom - but wisdom nonetheless. He has grown attached to him, almost as if he was the son he never had, but their relationship hit a bit of a snag when Lord Elrond found out he and his daughter were dating.

That was one year ago today and Naruto still hasn't completely healed from the lord's wrath. But after Naruto's brutal beat down, the Lord commended him on his bravery to stand up to him when he ordered them to separate. He gave his blessing, but only if his daughter's "innocence" was kept pure. But of course, Naruto was clueless to what the man meant and agreed regardless.

"I snuck in through the crowd, who were those people leaving just now?" Naruto wondered, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Those are the Elders. They are wise advisers to me," Elrond explained, standing from his throne. "As of late something has been troubling me and I needed their wisdom."

"Has it helped you, Lord Elrond?" Naruto questioned, perplexed. What could worry the king of elves? Must be something important, a grand scale war or the destruction of a city. But Naruto was too apprehensive to ask what it truly was. It was none of his business and if he did ask he might unleash Elrond's wrath once more.

"Not particularly, no." The lord sighed, walking down the silk laid steps that led up to his throne. A nice little touch, if he had to say so himself. It added a splash of red to this barren room of white marble and pristine wooden textures. "It actually raised more questions than it answered. And please, Naruto. Call me Elrond. I am no lord behind closed doors, so you shouldn't treat me as one."

"Very well, but before we continue I must ask you a question." He said, a knot building in his throat.

"Of course, you may ask me anything." The king seemed happy, ready to hear the boy's question with an open mind. It put Naruto at ease, if only a little.

"May I marry your daughter?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The room ran cold as the two stood in uninterrupted silence, the lord's back to Naruto while he waited with bated breath for Elrond's answer. It seemed that Naruto's words had broken him because it didn't seem like he was moving or even breathing, his body stood still like a great statue as his eyes were wide open, unblinking and unmoving. It was eerie, it was putting Naruto in a very nervous state, a very justified one at that.

Arwen and he had become something that he's always wanted, a loving relationship with love being the first and foremost thing. He's wanted to marry her for months but he put it off until he was able to get the metals he decided to make his girlfriend's ring from. He handcrafted the silver band and chiseled the diamonds by hand, not perfectly at first though. If you went into the blacksmith's workshop that he generously let Naruto barrow, you would find countless metal rings and priceless diamonds littering the floor. He hated to waste so many things but he wanted to make this and make it perfect, he wanted to show her that she meant more to him than how much he can write on a check.

But now, all his hard work might be for not. After 5 full minutes of silence, the Lord spoke, catching Naruto off guard. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I-I think I misheard you." His voice was cold and jagged like an orcs blade as he slowly turned to meet Naruto's gaze. His face was unreadable, a smile or frown was absent from his face, it was just a harsh line.

"W-Well…..you see, ummm. Arwen and I have…..been dating - with your blessing, of course - for quite some…...time. 2 ½ y-years to be specific. S-So, I-I-I was hoping I could…..ask for your b-b-blessing once more to…..wed your daughter." Naruto was shaking, his knees practically knocked together as Elrond's expression didn't change, stern as the moment this began.

"Let me ask you this, Naruto. Do you know what you are asking for?" Elrod questioned. He placed a cold hand on the boy's shoulder, gripping it roughly. "She is no mere woman, child. She is my daughter, the next queen of our people. Marriage is not something we take lightly. If you were to marry her, you would be her king and her your queen. A human will take a seat upon a throne that only elves have ever touched. Elders will not be gracious to see this, nor shall our people. So, I will not allow you to just ask for my daughter's hand if you are unaware of the weight behind those words!"

"Your people seem very welcoming of me. I don't think that should be such a problem," Naruto countered, daring forward against the lord's warnings.

"That is because you are a commodity. A strange little distraction that many find sweet or charming to have around." The lord explained, looking through the open window to see his people walking in their own little world, detached from what is happening inside this very room. "But, if they were told tomorrow that their new future King is a human. Their welcoming attitude will turn sour."

"That is what you believe, you've never had this happen before." Naruto said, seeing the lord grimace at his claim. "I love your daughter, Lord Elrond, and I wish to spend my whole life with her regardless of how others feel."

He snickered at the boy's decree."Your whole life is but a blink to an elf." Elrond said. "I've lived thousands of years, while you humans are lucky to last to the hundreds. And I know my people quite well, Naruto. I know there capacity for change, you are naive about your chances."

"And you are too stubborn to try." That seemed to grab the king's attention. He spoke without fear now, his body and words seemed to have taken on a more strong willed approach to this. Saying the lord was surprised would be an understatement. "I don't wish to disrespect your wisdom or position but you cannot speak for all of your people, nor can either of us speak for Arwen. This is her discussion, not ours."

"You dare speak to me in such a tone?!" Elrond hissed, he turned towards the accused with a harsh glare.

"I dare," Naruto fired back, unwavering in his stance. "I care deeply for your daughter and I won't leave this place until I get your blessings. I respect you, but I'm also willing to do whatever it takes for your daughter."

"Even if it means facing me once more?" Elrond asked, gripping his decorated blade handle. "Even if it means you are ostracized by the people you will rule over, to be looked at as a outside? You would face that and much more in your short life just to hold my daughter's hand in marriage?"

"Yes, Lord Elrond. Without a moment's hesitation." Naruto said quickly and without delay. "Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've been looked at as an outsider or hated for something I couldn't control. But it would be all the more bearable of your daughter was by my side."

"Very well then, their is only one thing I must do against conviction like that." With nothing more to say, Naruto bowed his head in respect and anticipation. He was prepared for whatever Lord Elrond had in store for him, but no matter what happened he would stay firm and keep his honor as a man intact. For a few moments nothing seemed to happen, the air was thick with anticipation as Naruto waited for a word to be spoken or for pain to course through him, but nothing seemed to happen.

Then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, a gentle yet firm one and a chuckle accompanying it. Naruto raised his head, curious and wary of what was about to come. His eyes meet with a grinning Elrond, his cheeky smile wide and filled with unbridled pride for this young man standing before him.

"I give you my blessing to marry my daughter, Naruto Uzumaki." His statement echoed through these great halls, meeting all at once in the center. "You are a brave human, Naruto. No one has ever spoken to me like this, especially a person whose faced my rage once before. You will make a fine king some day. I also must apoligize if I scared you, I needed to make sure that you knew what would be in store for both of you."

Naruto couldn't help the smile that started to grow inch by massive inch across his face. He went on empulse, pure blood instinct, and latched himself onto the lord of elves with a tight hug, laughing all the while. "Thank you, thank you so much Lord Elrond! This means more to me than you know, I will not waste your blessing."

"Yes, well, see that you don't." Lord Elrond humored, patting the boy's back lightly before detaching himself from the boy's grip.

"Once again, thank you. I can't wait to ask Arwen. Do you know where she is right now?" Naruto asked with a giddy titter in his voice. He seemed so happy and willing to go and propose at this moment, he just couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

"Hold now, young man. Do you believe you will just propose to my little flower without a proper setting? Atmosphere? Onlookers who would tell their grandchildren about this day? I will not stand for it." The Lord spoke, Naruto shrunk a few inches in that moment. "I will prepare something for tomorrow night. Go to my daughter, she must be worried sick about you and speak none of this to her." The boy nodded quickly before leaving the lord to his thoughts. As the boy began to exit, the lord called to him, a thought coming to his mind.

"Oh, and child. I want you to know something very important. My daughter is my life, without her I would be nothing now. Just a bitter lord wallowing away in this world. She has already been hurt once by a mortal man, I will not allow it to happen again. So, if she says yes and you break her heart in any way, there will be no rock you can hide under, no mountain you can climb, or no crevice you can slither into that I will not find you in. I let one live, I will not be so gracious the next time. That is all, thank you for your time."

Naruto left with a cold shiver running down his spine, the lord has spoken with little humor in his tone and his eyes were as cold as steel slicing through his flesh. The lord couldn't scare him harder if he tried, but it had to be done. He was not just Lord Elrond, ruler of his people, he was also a father. A father who once watched his daughter shrivel away in her room for days, weeks even, from heartache and pain. He would do anything to keep her from that again, even if it meant bring fear into the heart of a young man he has grown quite fond off.

But Elrond's mind wasn't only filled with the thoughts of his darling daughters worst moment and the best to come, it was also filled with the burning discussion that has become quite clear to him, thanks to this little talk he had with the young boy.

"_You've helped me once again, Naruto. I know what I must do." _

As the king stayed below, pacing in his throne room with a pleased look on his face our man of the hour climbed up the staircase towards his beloved, a smile on his face that would split a normal man's face in two. He reached the door and was prepared to knock and rush in to see Arwen once again but stopped, his knuckles now inches from rattling her door.

With a smile like this Arwen will surely know something is going on. He was never this chipper, never, even on his best day. Arwen was not easily fooled either, she would surely see through his lies if he tried to. He needed to calm himself, bring himself back down to the level of his usual self, especially with the battered attire he had on now. If he strolled in, cuts and bruises changing colors on his body, she would think he had gone mad.

Taking this moment for himself, he cleared his face and mind of his previous conversation and went in fresh, ready to greet Arwen.

"Arwen, are you decent?" Naruto joked, opening Arwen's door to find her where he usually does at this time of night, staring out towards the horizon, watching the sun slowly disappear over the hills. She loved the sight of the setting and rising sun, such an amazing sight. It was as if it were a mighty god, even it had to lay it's head to rest, but before it left it's people for the night it gave them a wondrous sight, the beauty of the night sky mixing with it's warm orange glow.

She turned to her love with a tender smile as she walked to his side, grasping at the tattered garments the boy greeted her with.

She was a beauty to behold tonight, her hair was damp from her bath, her nightgown was made of the finest silks imaginable which clung to her damp skin nicely. Naruto would be lying if he said he didn't like the view, her beauty always caught his attention, but it was her character and personality that hooked him.

"Am I decent? Speak for yourself, my love. One more cut and you would be naked as a jaybird." She smiled, a sight that always brought a flutter to our teen's heart. Grabbing him by the hand, Arwen led him to her bed and ordered sternly for him to remove his shirt, an action that has happened many times during their relationship. He always came home like this, bleeding, scared, in pain. She was the only one Naruto allowed to help him, not even the certified healers are allowed to see him like this. She walked to her bathroom and soaked a cloth with freshly gotten water pulled from the river.

Arwen took a spot beside Naruto, a bottle of disinfectant cream in one and the rag in the other. "Now, hold still. We don't need you kicking and screaming like you did before."

"You make it sound like I'm a child." Naruto smiled, feeling the cooling touch of the rag wash away the dirt and grime of the day, finding comfort in this moment before the true pain began. A burning sting rushed through his nerves as this so called "disinfectant" touched the first of many of Naruto's opened cuts. This herbal medicine is made from a mystery concoction of herbs and elf magic's, but for some reason it burned worse than fre ants being let loose in his skin. "Gods! That stings, I swear. Sometimes I worry that you enjoy this."

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe next time you won't leave me alone to worry myself to death." Arwen said calmly, placing another dab of this goo onto another cut, rubbing it in a bit rougher this time. "I've never complained about your training. I know this is something you've asked for. But for some reason I can't help but worry everyday when you come home like this. A mess."

"Cohnal says I'm really improving. I am not doing anything dangerous, and besides, Cohnal said my training will soon be over. He's running out of things to teach me, he said experience is all I really need now." Naruto said in between his grunts of pain and anguish. These elves have never heard of soothing medicine I suppose. But, what it lacks in comfort it makes up for in effectiveness. By morning he will be fully healed, no scars or residual damage. "So, a few more months, another year at the max. Then I'm all yours from dawn till dusk, I bet you won't know what to do with me."

"I have a few suggestions." She cooed, laying the last bandage over the medication to keep it in place. Soon, she flipped Naruto over onto his back, her hand now placed on his abdomen, her fingers now tracing the single seal on his stomach. She's always been curious about it, but Naruto's never really told her about it nor as she asked about it. Maybe it was something painful in his past or a branding of some kind, whatever it was it felt like it weighed heavy on Naruto. "One being a nice night under the stars, a candle lite dinner for two, musical accompaniment, and a nice bottle of our finest fermented wine. Then, at the end of the night, we will let our drunken bodies do the talking. How's that sound?"

"It sound's like the princess isn't as pure as I've been lead to believe." Naruto smiled, leaning forward as he rest his weight on his arms, propping him up in front of Arwen. "And what type of girl do you take me for? It's only been 2 ½ years. I won't just have sex with anyone. I have standards." He jested, batting his eyes in a flirtatious manner, laughing all the while.

"That's what the wine is for." Arwen smiled, locking her lips with her beloved, her fingers running through his hair with a welcomed aggression. "Besides, we wouldn't have sex. We would make love, there's a difference. I'll make you see that some day."

"I'll hold you too that." He cupped her cheek tenderly, a warmth filled the room that the two basked in as they continued their battle of the lips, each one playing for dominance in this situation. Oddly enough it was Arwen who won this night, she had Naruto pinned to her bed, her tongue breaking through his lips and into his mouth, and her hands explored his naked torso like she was looking for a lost treasure.This lasted for minutes, each one disappointed when one had to break for air. But soon they tired themselves out, their hot and heavy session seemed to have drained them of all their strength.

"Good night, sweetie." Naruto said sweetly, kissing his beloved's forehead before heading towards the door. He was stopped however, by Arwen's hand, holding him in place with a grip of a warrior.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"My room," He said sarcastically.

"Are you still afraid of what my father might think if he sees us in bed together?"

"No, I don't care what he thinks. I care about what he does to me if he sees it." Naruto informed her, a shiver working its way down his spine for what felt like the fourth time that day.

"We are consenting adults in a long, committed relationship. I think we can spend one night together. Besides, we have our clothes one. Well, most of them anyway." She laughed, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. She wanted him to stay, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I want to feel the man I love's arms around me. I want to wake up next to you, and I want your warmth around me. So please, I'm asking you, will you stay the night here, with me."

How could he say no to such a dedicated statement like that? He couldn't, he just couldn't. So, throwing his fear of her father out the window he took his rightful place next to Arwen, wrapping his strong, lean arms around her waist as the two laid their head to rest. As if on queue, Naruto heard a scratch at the door. He opened his blue eyes to the night filled room and saw Arwen's door slowly open to reveal a fully grown black lion, his black mane and piercing yellow eyes were the first thing Naruto saw.

With a small smile gracing his tired face, he patted the bed, assuring his friend a nice little spot at the foot of their bed. Namian took his master's offer and jumped onto his rightful spot, shaking the bed quite a bit but strangely it didn't even shake Arwen from her slumber.

"Goodnight Arwen, goodnight Namian." Naruto whispered, happy to have this. To have his family in one room. This felt right, and tomorrow this would be permanent, hopefully at least.

**Thank you all for reading, I know this a bit shorter than my other ones, I am sorry but don't be discouraged. The next update should be back to my usual length...haha, length. But I hope you all really enjoyed it, I did writing it. Especially the romance between Arwen. Please Review and PM me if you have any questions. Now, I must go, my city needs me!**


	5. Author's Note: Hiatus

Hello,

It is with a heavy heart that I must take an undisclosed amount of time off from fanfiction. I've been wondering if I should do this for quite some time actually, as many of you have noticed because of my lackluster updating schedule, but I have been burnt out on writing for a while now, it's sadly become, at times, a chore to slog through but I continued because there are hundreds of people who really like my stories and I wanted to give back to them. It has nothing to do with high demand or anything like that, I've just been trying my hardest to create quality content for those who have been gracious enough to review, favorite, and follow my stories - and before I continue I must say, I cannot thank you all enough for the support you have given my page and stories, it means the world to me. So, I don't really know when I will be coming back to , it could be a few weeks or a few months, I just need a break to work on my personal projects and to simply unwind. That being said, this does **NOT **mean any of my stories will be taken off the page or that I will not come back, I will, and hopefully I'll bring a lot more updates for my stories.

Also, Lawrence Helmbain and Darth Khan N7, the two who have given me my first challenges as a Fanfic writer, that also means I won't be updating on your challenges for a while, and I would completely understand if you wish to take your challenge and find someone else who can. My feelings will not be hurt a single bit, I understand you want to see your stories come to life and I cannot do that for you right now. If you two or anyone who has questions, PM me or ask them in a Review, though if you are a guest I won't really be able to answer you.

(12/29/15) As of today, Alucard1959 is on Hiatus for the foreseeable future.

I am sorry and thank you for understanding!


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